HS2 - Euston Station Progress - January 2024 

A six-platform station will severely limit any future expansion of the high-speed network, whether it's a reinstated Phase 2 or any other future proposals. I know the current government doesn't believe in 'the future' but this is short-sighted even for them

I object to the cutting back of HS2 in general - and the reduction in capacity at Euston, and the slowing down of its construction - It is so short sighted - HS2 represents an investment in the future of train travel which will last for at least 150 years, and will contribute to reducing emissions - what good is half a railway? -

Fascinating to hear that Matthew Flinders' remains were found. I'm from South Australia, a state with hefty links to Flinders, and once was actually going to be called Flindersland!

Excellent video. I like the tip up shot of the tall crane at 3:24 ! Great camera control.

Great video, thanks Nicholas

Our PM will be remembered as the Dr Beeching of his age.

This was very informative- thank you!

Well ain't that just peachy. Can we rebuild the Bree Louise now, please?

6 platforms in London wouldn't be an issue if you stop thinking about London as being the Hub of high speed rail, and just think of it as one end of a spoke. Move the hub of HS2 to Birmingham/Manchester (Edit: or even Sheffield looking again at city locations within the UK) area with any future High Speed projects stating there. This builds up the countries infrastructure away from London and improves midlands/north which has been called for through HS2 planning and building space while also increasing capacity on the already excellent links into/out of London. A midlands hub for High Speed rail makes much more sense particularly when they have decided HS2 won't link into HS1 via St Pancreas. There is also the major hub station being built at Old Oak common which links it into GWR so, 6 at Euston should be fine. Have HS2 serve London, but remodel the whole thing to accelerate the "Northern Power house" as has always been wanted.

HS2 must be fully built Both western and eastern legs Northern Powerhouse Rail must be built

The initial plan was to build the station in two phases, in conjunction with the two phases of the line - 6 platforms initially, which would be enough to handle the Phase 1 services, and a further 5 for the Phase 2 ones. They then decided to cut it to 10 platforms as that would allow them to be built in one go, but if they've now decided to reduce it right down to 6 then they might as well revert to the original plan! Interesting that you should mention Marylebone, because that was originally planned to have 10 platforms, but the cost of building the Great Central was so high that it was reduced to four - sound familiar? However, the concourse was still designed for 10, with the anticipation that the rest would be built later, so perhaps they should do the same with Euston

Connect it in tunnel to HS1 under the North London Line and use the Elizabeth Line as a shuttle

Would be good to have a flyover of the existing station and an explanation of what tracks do what. Same for the other london termini?

Looking at the aerial views of the cleared site, am I to assume that some of the prospective savings will come from extending the existing Euston Station rather than demolishing it. I know the platforms are dark and forbidding, but I rather like the main hall, which reminds me of a 1960s airport terminal. I feel it should be preserved.

I suspect given that their so little land to build anything but the station, there will be very little private investor interest. An that eventually we will get a sensible government that will swallow the cost and do a complete rebuild of Euston station, which everyone knows what really needed, with 12 platforms with space to build a through tunnel to HS1.

RIP Euston Downside carriage sheds! . . . More skyline shots while yer there plz!

I believe that this was never going to be completed but would provide London with another exit route, hence it commenced in London.

We are where we are, but they should have finished through to Euston imo, if and when they do decide to finish it to Euston, it will be even more expensive, it's funny that the government can find a few billion when they dig deeper down the sofa!

As others have said, crazy that the latest 'plan' is only for six platforms. There simply must be a way found that adds more platforms so that further HS2 phases can be added. This may not happen soon...but to end up with a severely constrained London terminus will surely come back to bite us in the bum!

I know Starmer has refused to commit to building the cancelled Manchester leg, but one hopes that when Labour wins the next election he will do *something* to stop or reverse the wholesale vandalism of the project.

Every day something new happens. More people, More cars and trucks on the roads, might have to build airports to move people around and at speed. Involves more traffic jams in the sky. Finishing the HS2 will also help in the long run. All around the world are doing the same. I bet Britain will come out Tops. (Best ever). In what time frame will this project be finished. Then the money will start paying off... keep it real and positive. Regards South Africa 🇿🇦.

Sorry to rake up old ground. I always trotted out the party line about it being about capacity, not speed. In which case wouldn't the GCR route have been a better and far cost effective solution?

recent update is that they're looking to start funding part of HS2 that was scrapped to Manchester with the help of private investors apparently..

How many HS platforms are there at St Pancras?

"im not one to judge" followed by a judgement

I'm lost. So they're no longer routing HS2 to Euston (stopping in suburban West London instead), but they're still going to rebuild Euston, albeit with just 6 platforms to continue to serve WCML?

In my personal opinion Euston is a mistake and the new station should have been at St Pancras linking in with HS1. This would have allowed for through trains from all over the country to then go forward to Paris, Brussels and beyond. In the meantime the area should be developed as you say, this could bring in much needed revenue. 🤔 It's such a shame that the part of the people of this country that have the money only look after themselves and not the wider community 🤔

We don't need this business man's train only project AT ALL, so they can get to London 10 mins quicker than now.

What I'm thinking is the question if the environmental concerns and NIMBY concerns are of higher importance than the transit needs of the people in the north. Because those concerns are a major reason for the exorbitant costs.

Euston, we have a problem.

Like all government run projects, this follows the same results as all the others - a highly successful COCK UP

A terminus at Euston looks rather old fashioned when cities like Stuttgart are converting their terminus stations into through stations to allow through running. Euston has no southern outlet. Build a though station in central London instead.

Capital projects are essential for investment in the UK and the pound. It’s how the country is valued and how much UK bonds will yield and so increases the value of the pound. All countries that can afford investment do it. France, Spain, Germany, Italy have all invested in their own rail network as capital projects. I, like a lot of others, travel on the rail and the congested M1/40 shows how much this is needed. Unfortunately people who won’t use this route see it as a reason to cancel it. With that sort of logic we might as well close all the roads that I don’t use, including any motorway in the north. The flat earth Brexit Mail readers have been given their opinion and now we all see the sad result. The country will be poorer in many ways.

Great drone footage. I definitely support the project and improvements in infrastructure, but why is it that so many grand UK projects have so many problems. Look at China. It just builds and builds. Ok they have more people, but they also have more land. The UK population density is surprisingly higher than China, because China, although very populated in the East, has vast empty deserts and mountains to the West. Maybe the UK should spend less money on weapons for Ukraine and much more money on it's homefront infrastructure. It's a question of correct priorities and getting all the self serving political corruption out of the way.

Terminal stations in cities are a very inefficient. At the east end of Old Oak Common station we want four tracks out: A))) The northern pair will exit a 2.2 km tunnel in the rail corridor south of Queens Park where it will connect to the middle pair of tracks. East of Primrose Hill the tracks split to allow access to Euston. The northern branch are a single pair of tracks to Kentish Town Rd (7.2 km from Old Oak Common). Between Kentish Town Rd and Camley St (8.0 km) the 3rd and 4th tracks are restored in the corridor to allow the souther pair to access St pancras Station and HS1 (8.6 km). These works should be a priority. They would include a depot south of Ashford in Kent where British HS2 services could terminate and be maintained. B))) The southern pair exiting Old Oak Common to the east would take the current 7.2 km tunnel corridor to Campden Town but remain underground for a 6 platform through-station at Euston (8.0 km). It would then pass under the Thames to a 4 platform underground station below Waterloo Station (11.3 km). From there it would continue underground to Elephant and Castle for a 4 platform interchange station with ThamesLink. From there it could surface near South Bermondsey for a junction station with the lines in this area (16.0 km). All the terminal stations (Paddington, Marylebone, Euston, St Pancras, Kings Cross, Liverpool St, Fenchurch St, Cannon St, London Bridge, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Charring Cross and Victoria should be linked up underground and the number of platforms cut to 4 to 6 each - far fewer platforms are required by through stations. The current ground level platforms and concourses would be adapted to hotels and retail. Pedestrian traffic on the underground would probably fall 25% as far fewer connections will be required for door to door journeys. It will probably take 50 years but south east England will be better off for it. On a bigger picture level, the Island of Great Britain needs its rail network modified to be a rail grid covering the whole island.

huge mistake paralyzing this, people need realistic start and end times for big infrastructure projects. slowly but steadily they could still have finished this in 36 to 60 months.

Did the current government lost the elections in the northern areas where they cancelled the HS2? If they did or didn't, aren't there any protests from those northern regions? Because originally the HS2 would not go there, but because they help to pay for it, they wanted the HS2 to come to their region as well. So that's why it was decided that HS2 should go further north. So what changed?

Overall a good video but the music is awful. Sounds like a TV speaker reverberating or something. Hope you did pay royalties on it.

6 platforms for a railway only 100 mile long, more than enough.

Should be scrapped

Who wants to get to Birmingham in record time anyway?

,But ? they cant even run a reliable service now , the times ive wasted standing on bristol temple meads station ! No trains , no drivers , i think , should be investing the money in battery and renewable energy technology ,,

Hs2 is utterly pointless without Manchester.

What is the point London to Birmingham the north suffers again Waste of money and time

its a two line network end to end, point to point. How the hell would you ever need more than 6 patforms? The whole thing is a complete and utter white elephant.

All this to get to Birmingham 20 minutes faster. And who they hell wants to go to Birmingham anyway?!!

People calling High speed are deluded? Japan has fast trains! HS2 is STILL 100 years behind Japan. London to Manchester is just 20 minutes quicker??? Money would have been better spent on motoways and educational centres for left wing climate doomsters.

what a total waste of money. One line, when there's already two others. People who need to get to Birmingham a few minutes quicker for £000's don't know the value of money.

SO do you ask permission before doing this or are you ruining life for other drone users .