Trains departing London’s King’s Cross station will disappear from information screens three minutes before they are due to leave in a move to stop passengers from rushing to the platform.
Network Rail is trialling the policy “so everyone can board safely and keep trains running on time”.
Passenger information posters at the transport hub read: “Last tannoy announcements will be 4 minutes before departure. Trains won’t show on station displays within 3 minutes of scheduled departure times.”
The rail operator added that the final boarding calls for long-distance trains are “so people don’t rush”.
A Network Rail spokesperson told The Independent: “Running at stations is one of the biggest risks to passengers, particularly with luggage, so we need to do everything we can to avoid that.
“There is no point in giving a final announcement for a train that there is no physical way of catching.”
King’s Cross is the London station on the East Coast Main Line, with trains departing for Edinburgh, York and Newcastle – and commuters have criticised the move.
Simon Watson, a regular traveller between London and York, told The Times: “The trains are every 30 minutes and when I am heading home, which one I'm on can make the difference between being home for the children's bedtime or not.
“Whether I run for the train is my decision. Surely it's better to rush looking at the departure boards than your phone.”
The trial follows London TravelWatch watchdog warnings that passengers had been put “in danger” by last-minute announcements and “high levels of overcrowding” at Euston.
The Office of Rail and Road issued Network Rail a safety improvement notice for Euston in September 2023 following “reports of minor injuries” and “the potential for more serious consequences”.
Passengers who show up to travel from King’s Cross last minute now risk missing platform information and their trains.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, advised: “If you turn up less than 180 seconds before departure, not all is lost: the best source for showing which platform you need is the RealTimeTrains.co.uk website. Some apps, such as Trainline, usually show departure platforms. Or you could ask a member of staff.”
King’s Cross allows three minutes due to the distance of the departure concourse from platform 0 – Network Rail says this can take up to four minutes to reach for elderly travellers or those with luggage.
Commuter services at King’s Cross are not included in the trial as they “run from the higher numbered platforms closer to the concourse”.
Elsewhere in London, including at St Pancras and Euston, gates generally close two minutes before departure.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “Our stations plan their announcements to give passengers the safest and easiest start to their journeys and to make sure trains can depart on time.
“At King’s Cross, we display long-distance trains on the main departure boards until three minutes before departure, and this has been normal practice for some time.
“The trial will just see the last tannoy announcements being made four minutes before departure on long-distance trains to give people plenty of time to get to their trains.
“There is no change being made to actual boarding times, and passengers can still board their train up to 20 minutes before departure, as is the normal process.”
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