Euston Square pedestrian link scrapped

[d7666]

Anyone else spot the news hidden away in a BBC business news item that these changed HS2 works for Euston have scrapped the proposed pedestrian tunnel link to Euston Square :-

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67021225

As it says, not reviewed, but scrapped.

[trainwizard]

I noticed it too - I was going to post about it when you beat me to it.
I wonder what the impact on the Underground (and other TfL services) is from the Prime Minister's changes to HS2 plans. There's obviously the cancelled Euston to Euston Square link, among other reductions to the plans for Euston (6 platforms compared to 11 previously), and the planned phased opening of the line at Old Oak Common will likely overwhelm the Elizabeth Line. I also recall seeing somewhere that the Overground stations near Old Oak Common were cancelled as well.

[jimbo]

I have never understood why in 160 years the case for an eastern entrance to Euston Square station has never got up. Isn't that the destination of a large share of users of that station?

[t697]

I recall the Euston Square platform work for the now cancelled eastern entrance was going to involve S stock needing a whole car of doors cut out at that end for a year or more on both platforms while the work was going on. So Circle, H&C and Met users won't be so inconvenienced.
The length of walk in the street isn't really that bad but I agree the Euston Square station entrance on the north side isn't very good.

[jimbo]

Immediately post war the intention was to move the platforms westward, away from Euston terminus, to provide interchange with the planned new Victoria Line station at Warren Street. By the time the line was approved, the Euston Road fly-under had claimed the sub-surface space, leaving both stations as they are today. Out of station interchange was still permitted by this route.

Pressed for a source, I would think J R Day's little book The Victoria Line published upon line opening, and I've not read it since! Warren Street provided an emergency reversing point midway from King's  Cross to Victoria, with the platforms at both stations before and after not being adjacent, although that didn't prevent Highbury having an emergency crossover.

[spsmiler]

I'm pleased that the sub-surface platforms remained where they are. Its better for going to Euston main line.

A subterranean direct walkway might have been useful, especially if inside the fares paid area, with a moving walkway and in inclement weather.

[jimbo]

If the platforms had moved westward, I imagine the current ticket hall would have remained, so the same walk to Euston. Another link to the Victoria Line interchange.

[spsmiler]

LOL, jimbo in that case there would have been three travel options (within the fares paid area) between Euston and Warren Street stations

Northern line CX branch
Victoria line
Walking via Euston Square station!

[brigham]

Bit of a blow, that.

What a short-sighted idea, building an important new route to and from Birmingham, and scrapping the final bit into London.

[melikepie]

Wait, they are scrapping OOC to Euston afterall?

[trt]

They've left it up to the will of commercial enterprise.

Which means it will probably see a succession of burner corporations use it as some sort of tax write off (I don't know how these things work), probably taking 3 or 4 years each, installing a few pilings here and there, then declaring bankruptcy, firesale and a big fat severance cheque for a select group of individuals. Meanwhile over on platforms 1 to 16...