London Euston (London)

The station buildings at Euston are either an iconic example of Brutalist transport architecture, or hideously ugly depending on your point of view - but what the 1960s re-build did achieve was merging several component parts of the older station, into one terminal.

So using Euston station is a fairly unique experience, because the main concourse was deliberately designed so that it could be used similarly to how travellers moved through 1960s airport terminals.
As a result the trains are largely hidden from view at a lower level to the concourse, though how you access them is fairly obvious.

Hence Euston is generally a simple station to make sense of, once you’re on the main concourse of the station and waiting for your train
However, what can make Euston a bewildering space for first time users are the crowds, it’s permanently busy because the terminal building wasn’t designed for the volume of travellers which currently use it.

Hence the creation of an open plaza in front of the station with seating areas and food/drink outlets - it has the same type of large departure boards which can be found on the main concourse, so in good weather it can be a nice location in which to await a departure.

How travellers will be navigating Euston is subject to change over the next 10 years and more, because the station is being re-built in order to accommodate the future service of high speed trains.

What’s already been affected by the building works are:

• the access to Euston underground station;
• the relocation of the taxi rank, to outside the front of the station on the left hand side (when arriving);
• the walking route between Euston main station and Euston Square underground station.

Many of the buildings and somewhat ugly retail spaces surrounding the station are due to be demolished (or have been), so expect to follow pathways through a building site, though for the time being the disruption is being cleverly minimised.

Though what won’t be impacted by the building works for some time is the transfer between the main concourse and the trains.

When the typical train timetable is available, the usual pattern of train service from London Euston is (not all station calls have been listed):

the Avanti West Coast services:

• 2 x trains per hour to Stoke-on-Trent - Manchester
• 1 x train per hour to Stafford - Crewe - Manchester
• 1 x train per hour to Crewe - Liverpool
• up to 1 x train per hour to Stafford - Crewe - Chester; some trains continue to Rhyl - Colwyn Bay - Llandudno Junction - Bangor - Holyhead
• 1 x train per hour to Preston - Lancaster - Oxenholme Lake District and / or Penrith North Lakes - Carlisle - Glasgow
• 1 x train per day to Crewe - Preston - Blackpool (there are other trains to Blackpool)
• 2 x trains per hour to Coventry - Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street
• 1 x train per hour to Coventry - Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton - Stafford - Crewe - Preston and

1. on to Lancaster - Oxenholme Lake District and / or Penrith North Lakes - Carlisle - Edinburgh (7 x trains per day); or
2. on to Lancaster - Oxenholme Lake District and / or Penrith North Lakes - Carlisle - Glasgow (5 x trains per day); or
3. on to Blackpool (2 x trains per day)

the LNWR services:

• 2 x slower trains per hour to Coventry - Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street (up to 14 station calls)
• 1 x slower train per hour to Stafford - Crewe (up to 9 station calls)

Further information is available on the journey guides.

ShowMeTheJourney has anticipated what questions are most often asked about taking trains to and from Euston station and answered them below.

If you can't find the information you are seeking, you can ask a question by using the Travel Planning Service.

Yes, when departing and arriving by train at Euston station you simply walk between the platforms / tracks and the concourse and there is no alternative, despite the part of the station that the trains use being at a lower level - more info below.

Euston station is located on the northern edge of central London so the areas of the city which most travellers will be heading to and from, are not within easy walking distance.

To the West End
The primary shopping and entertainment district is directly south of Euston so it can be accessed on foot in around 20-30 mins, but it is linked to the station by both the Victoria line and the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line.
The Victoria line stops at Oxford Circus and Green Park - where the station unusually has step free access with street level.
The Northern line stops at Tottenham Court Road - where it connects with the Elizabeth line, and Leicester Square.

Though as the Northern and Victoria lines are deep-level 'tube lines' the access to and from their respective trains are by a combination long escalators and short flights of stairs.
Taking the bus can be a good alternative when heading to Euston station from the West End, as there is a bus station directly in front of the terminal building - but it only used by buses travelling in one direction.
Bus line / route 91 goes to Euston from Trafalgar Square and line / route 390 travels through the heart of the West End.

To the City of London
The primary business district is directly connected connected to Euston station, by the aptly named City branch of the Northern line, it has stops at Moorgate and Bank.

To the tourist attractions

London's galleries, historical landmarks, markets and museums are scattered across the city - hence these insights on how to reach them by train from Euston,

King's Cross and St Pancras stations are within a 20 minute walk of Euston, or you can take a short bus ride.
Routes /lines - 30, 73 and 205 go from the bus station, which has step-free access from the rail station, and stop in front of both King's Cross and St Pancras stations.

However, the stations used by trains which head east, south and west from the capital are not within walking distance.
Hence this guide on how to access them by public transport from Euston.

• Bus route / line 68 goes to Waterloo station from the bus station at Euston.
• Bus route / line 205 also provides the direct public transport access from Euston station to Liverpool Street station.

The cheapest and easiest options for travelling to / from Euston by public transport is to avoid buying tickets and to use Contactless payment instead.

Regardless of whether you are resident in the UK, or are visiting, there are three methods of using Contactless:

1. A payment app on a mobile device, including your bank's contactless payment app, or the likes of Google Pay, Apple Pay, or Samsung Pay.
2. A debit / credit card as long as it has the contactless symbol (some non-UK cards with the symbol are also an exception - particularly when visiting from the Canada. the USA and The Netherlands, so it's worth confirming with your bank prior to arrival in London).
3. An Oyster card (you touch in and out as you do when using Contactless).

More info is available on the general guide to travelling in London by train.

There is no disguising that making the transfer between Euston station and Heathrow airport is comparatively awkward as it is indirect:

From Euston to Heathrow:

• 1 - Take the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line southbound to Tottenham Court Road - a short flight of stairs leads to the trains.
• 2 - At Tottenham Court Road, use the lifts or escalators to connect to the Elizabeth line trains to Heathrow.

From Heathrow to Euston - an entirely step-free route:

• 1 - Take the Elizabeth line to Paddington
• 2 - Lifts / elevators link the platform that the Elizabeth line train will arrive at, to the street named Eastbourne Terrace, which is beside the Elizabeth line station.
• 3 - By the lift / elevator there is a bus stop, used by route / line 205 which is direct to Euston station.
• 4 - At Euston the bus will arrive at the bus station, which is directly in front of the rail terminal.

There are multiple food and drink outlets in the station, but branches of restaurant cafes and chains dominate - though The Signal Box pub is recommended.
Though an unusual feature is that many of these outlets are either on a dining terrace above the concourse, where The Signal Box is located, or on the forecourt, in front of the main station building.
This 'Food Terrace' can be be accessed by escalators.

Yes there is a facility managed by The Excess Baggage Company, which is located by the entrance to platform 16 - which is on the far right of the concourse when looking towards the front of the station.

Holders of First Class tickets to travel by Avanti West Coast and Caledonian Sleeper trains can access a lounge, which has step-free access from the main concourse - it is over to the right when looking towards the trains.

The dominant feature of Euston station is now a huge digital advertising screen which spans the length of of the station concourse - and is above the access points to the trains.
As you face the screen, platforms (tracks) 1-7 are over to the right, the access to platforms 8-11 is straight ahead under screen, and platforms 12 – 16 are over the to the left.

The trains operated by Avanti West Coast only use platforms 1-7 and 12-16, while the trains operated by London North Western Railway usually depart from platforms 9 - 12.

On the main departure screens, both on the concourse and outside the front of the station, the full details are shown of the next six trains (Avanti West Coast and LNWR) which will be leaving.
Blue = wait for the details of which platform / track the train will be leaving from to be confirmed; The approximate time at which this info will become available, is also typically shown.
Green = Boarding has commenced, so head to the number of the platform / track on the green background

The departure times of the subsequent trains which will be leaving are shown as a summary to the right on the main board.

Boarding

The specific number of the platform (track) that each train is leaving from, will usually appear on the main departure board and on the other departure screens around the station, around 10 -20 mins ahead of the departure time.
In consequence many travellers crowd the concourse, so that they can watch out for the departure details - which are also typically announced

Travellers who don’t have reserved seats are understandably keen to be among the first passengers to board, so the confirmation of the platform number usually triggers a rush towards the train.

Each platform / track also has a dedicated departure screen which repeats the info shown on the main board, including the stations that the train will call at.
It also shows a countdown as to when the access the platform / track will be closed

Awaiting the departure details

Although if you DO have a reserved seat and arrive at the station ahead of time, you can take a more relaxed approach to boarding a train.
If you won’t be travelling 1st class on an Avanti West Coast service, so won’t have access to its lounge, there are three new locations at the station where travellers can simply sit and wait for a train.

1. There are now rows of seats at the back of the concourse
2. There is also a seating area which has been created to the right of the entrance to platforms 12 to 16.
3. In the open air area in front of the station, there is now a plaza where two of the main departure boards has been located, so in good weather you can sit outside and keep an eye on the departure info.

So you don’t have stand on the main concourse and keep an eye on its departure boards, in order to be aware of which platform/track your train will be leaving from.
There are also departure monitors around the station, including by the new seating areas.

Keep an eye on them for the departure details of your train to be confirmed, because ideally you need to head to the platform (track) at least 5 minutes before your train is due to leave.

There are slopes which lead down from the main concourse to the platforms (tracks) and they provide the only access to the trains; so there are no stairs or escalators to negotiate, but there are no lifts (elevators) either.

Platforms 1-3 weren’t originally intended for use by departing passengers, so the descent down to them is exceptionally stark; and the step-free route to these platforms is the long way round, short flights of stairs provide the quickest means of accessing the trains which use them.

At the foot of all of those slopes which lead down to the trains there are ticket gates and inspectors, so have your ticket(s) to hand as you make your way to the train.
Queues will inevitably form in front of the access to the platform (track), but in our experience these are efficiently managed at Euston.

Though to ensure a prompt departure, the access to the platform is usually closed off two minutes before the train is due to leave, so avoid cutting it too fine!

On the platform / track

The First Class coaches will almost certainly be those at the rear of the train, nearest the entrance to the platform/track.

Because Euston is a terminus station and most of the trains that use it are lengthy, it can take around 3 mins to access the coaches (cars) towards the front of the train; so if time is tight, board by the rear doors of the train.
It won’t matter that you’ll be boarding into First class if you have a Standard class ticket, you will be able to move through the train to the Standard class coaches.

Euston is served by the Northern and Victoria Lines of London Underground, though the Northern Line has two different routes in Central London; the Charing + branch and the City branch.

There is only one exit from Euston’s underground station, so when you step off a Northern or Victoria line train and follow the ‘Way Out’ signs, you will ultimately pass through the Underground ticket hall, which is beneath the main station’s concourse.

Escalators connect the platforms the Underground trains arrive at to the ticket hall - And lifts (elevators) are also available from Northern Line (City branch only) and the Victoria line.
However, a short flight of stairs connects the Northern Line (Charing + branch) to the escalator, so the exit from this line is not step-free.

Up to the main concourse

If you use the escalators up from the trains, once you have passed through the ticket gates in the Underground station, straight ahead will be the passage which leads to the concourse at the station.
The passage way curves to the left and you can't miss the other escalators, which go up towards the main station building.
Over to the right in this passage are some less obvious lifts (elevators), which also go up to the main concourse.

When you step off the escalator, the direct route on to the main concourse has for the time being been closed off by building works.
Instead you have to briefly step outside the station and then pass through the doors which lead on to the main concourse.
A sign will tell you to turn left to access the main concourse, but you can also go right - and doing so is the quickest route to the ticket hall, where you can purchase or collect pre-booked tickets.

If you won’t be collecting or buying tickets, and if you don’t want to break into a run, it will take at least five mins to make the transfer between stepping off of the Underground and boarding your long-distance train; so allow a minimum of 10 mins for a stress-free transfer.

Euston Square station isn’t at Euston station, take a second look at the Underground Map and you’ll notice that the line between Euston Square and Euston is dotted; And as the key on the map shows, the dotted line means that you can walk between the two stations in under 10 minutes.

Euston Square is served by the Circle and Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines, though in central London these lines share the same tracks.
Any westbound train from stations between Liverpool Street and Kings Cross will call at Euston Square; it doesn't matter which line the train is travelling on.

Ideally board an eastbound train to Euston Square towards the rear of the train and a westbound train towards the front, you’ll then be by the exit when you step off the train.

At Euston Square station

The eastbound platform, used by trains arriving from the likes of Baker Street and Paddington, is solely connected to the ticket hall lobby above the trains, by a staircase.
However, the westbound platform, used by trains from Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel, has a lift / elevator up to this lobby level.

From this lobby level there is another lift / elevator which provides step-free access to the south side of Euston Road - so when arriving on a westbound train, there is step-free access from train to street.

So if you arrive at Euston Square on a eastbound train, you can avoid having to heave luggage etc up a second flight of stairs, by going left in the station lobby, in order to access this lift
Though the quickest route from eastbound trains to street level, is to use the two sets of staircases which lead up to the north side of Euston Road.

The transfer to Euston station

If you have taken the lift /elevator within Euston Square station up to street level, you will be on the south side of Euston Road.
If you follow the sign pointing the way to the National Rail station, you will walk by the building which houses The Wellcome Collection museum.
At the next street junction, with Gordon Street, the station will be on the next block over, but on the other side of Euston Road.
What the image above shows is:

• the path will lead to the building marked by the arrow on the right - which houses the Euston Tap bar
• the path will then take you under the building marked with the middle arrow
• the location of the station entrance is marked by the arrow on the left.
  There is an obvious path to follow through the construction area and the route is step-free.

Euston is a terminus station, so the only means of exiting from the platforms (tracks) is to head towards the front of the train.

The platforms (tracks) are at a lower level, so beyond the front of the train you will see sloped walkways leading upwards.
These are the only usual means of reaching the main concourse, which is where all the exits from the station can be accessed.

However, these sloped walkways are comparatively steep, they were constructed long before passengers began to pull wheeled suitcases.
If you would consider requesting mobility assistance, because you would have difficulty managing luggage up a staircase, then our advice is to request it for your Euston arrival.

Euston station is served by the Northern and Victoria Lines – the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines use a separate Underground station named Euston Square, which is located outside the main station.

The entrance to Euston Underground has been temporarily relocated and it is now outside the station.
So once you have ascended to the main concourse, walk across it to the front of the station building, exiting by the first set of doors that you come to.

Then once you have exited the station, you will need to turn left or right, depending on the doors you have used; the entrance to the underground station, will be just a few steps away, it will seem as though you are re-entering the station.

The Northern Line is unusual because it takes two separate routes from Euston through central London, so the southbound trains EITHER travel via:

(1) Kings Cross, St Panrcas and Angel (for Islington) and Old Street and Moorgate and Bank and London Bridge – look for the signs pointing the way to ‘trains via Bank’

OR
(2) travel via Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square, Charing Cross and Waterloo – look for the signs pointing the way to ‘trains via Charing Cross’.

So it can make sense to think of these as separate lines; Euston is one of the few Underground stations where it matters which specific platform your train is leaving from.
The Northern Line trains ‘via Charing Cross’ leave from platform (track) 2, while the Northern Line ‘trains via Bank’ use platform 6.
When you reach the foot of the escalator down from the ticket hall you need to turn left to access the Charing + branch and right for the City branch via Bank..

The main access down to the Underground station ticket hall is by escalator, but there are also lifts/elevators down to this level.
You'll find them on the right on the main concourse, by the entrance to the mainline ticket office.
What can be confusing is that there is a sign on this side of the concourse, by the ticket hall, which points to the way to going right for the Underground station, but if you follow it you will have to take the lift.
So the quicker route is to ignore it and exit the station, turning left on the plaza in order to access the escalator down into the Underground station's ticket hall.

There also lifts down from the Underground's ticket hall to the Victoria Line trains and the City branch of the Northern line - but not to the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line.

Heading down the escalator

Whether you will be taking the Northern or Victoria Line, there is only one set of escalators which leads down to the trains from the ticket hall in the Underground station.
However at the foot of this escalator, you need to take different routes to the THREE parts of the station that the trains to central London leave from - and they are:

• The Northern Line via Charing Cross - platform (track) 2
• The Northern Line via Bank - platform (track) 6
• The Victoria Line – southbound trains call at Oxford Circus, Green Park and Victoria

So you need to pay particular attention to the signs when you the step off of the escalator which leads down from the ticket hall.
Though once you're in the space at the foot of the escalator, the Northern line via Charing Cross is to the left, but you need to go right for the Northern line via Bank and the Victoria Line.
From here another escalator leads down to the Victoria line and the Northern line via Bank, but a short flight of stairs leads to the Northern line via Charing Cross - so this line does not have step-free access.

Euston Square underground station is used by the Circle and Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines.

Any westbound train will take you to Baker Street, but only the Circle and Hammersmith & City line trains go to Edgware Road and Paddington.
The trains will look the same, regardless of which line they are serving, so check the indicators on the platform and on the sides of the trains.

Any eastbound train will take you to Farringdon, Barbican, Moorgate and Liverpool Street stations.
Though the Northern Line provides a direct connection between Euston and Moorgate - and if you’ll be heading to Liverpool Street from Euston, an alternative option is to take the Northern Line to Tottenham Court Road and connect for the Elizabeth line.

However, Euston Square is a 3 - 5 min walk away from the main station and the optimum route isn’t particularly obvious.

When you’re on the main concourse, use the exit doors on the right hand side of the concourse, those that are over the by the ticket office.

On the other side of the doors you will see a roofed step-free path, which leads down towards the car drop-off area, which will then be over to the right.

The fenced in path through the construction area will bend around to the right and lead to a road junction/intersection.

If you won't mind using stairs to access the trains which use Euston Square station, go straight ahead and walk along the north side of Euston Road

The entrance to Euston Square station, will be on the left, before you reach the next road junction.
Though look out for it, as it’s a contender for London’s most anonymous Underground station entrance.

As can be seen above, you will have reached Euston Square when you can see an underground sign on a pole above a staircase, which leads down from the street.
The staircase will take you down to a ticket hall which provides access to both the trains heading east or west.

Though the only access to the eastbound platform at Euston Square is by another staircase within the station.

Euston Square has its main entrance on the south side of Euston Road and it offers step-free access to westbound trains, so making use of it makes the going easier, if you will be travelling with heavy luggage etc
To reach it, when you get to the road junction at the end of the footpath, you will need to cross Euston Road and walk by the grand building, which houses The Wellecome Collection museum.

You will need to turn the corner into Gower Street to access the glass box, which houses stairs and a lift / elevator down to the lobby level, which gives access to both the eastbound and westbound trains.
So if you will be heading east, you can eliminate the need to take one of the two staircases, which provide the access between street level and eastbound trains.
However, if you will be going west, you can take another lift / elevator down to the westbound platform.

The reconstruction of Euston has led to the taxi rank being temporarily relocated, to a location in front of the main station building. Though the rather fancy shelters which have been provided, suggest that the rank will be here for some time.
They also make the taxi rank easier to find, because it is now some distance away from the station concourse; the route is:

1. Head out from the station concourse on to the plaza area in front of the station
2. Go over to the left and there will be a grim path which leads down to the bus station, you will walk by a convenience store
3. Go over to the left at the end of the path, and go by the Bus Information booth
4. Behind it will be a crossing over the road way used by the buses as they exit the bus station.
5. You will be at the taxi rank.

The bus station is in front of the station, on the other side of the plaza area, and it has step-free access from the station concourse.
However, the only bus services which use it are those which are heading east and south.
Though lines/routes 30, 73 and 205 go from the bus station and stop in front of both King's Cross and St Pancras stations - and bus route / line 68 goes to Waterloo station.

When planning a trip, finding convenient accommodation can be trickier than working out which train to take.
Hence ShowMeTheJourney has partnered with the innovative accommodation portal, Stay 22, to offer two options for discovering your optimum accommodation:

1: Use the map above to see which hotel rooms and Vrbo rentals, with easy access to London Euston station, are available.

2: Or see what's available with Stay 22's accommodation partners; which include, Expedia, Hotels.com and Trivago - by clicking the large button below.
Stay 22 will 'shuffle' the booking services so that you can be automatically directed to its partner that currently has the optimum availability at this location.

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