When you want to catch a train, especially at a chronically overcrowded mainline station, it helps if you can see where it is (which platform) and what time it’s supposed to depart (probably not when it’s supposed to.)
But passengers at London’s Euston Station, claimed to be the “gateway” to major cities including Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, now find its main information board replaced by – ads. You have to scoot around the station to find one of a number of smaller boards telling you what’s going on (you hope.)
The big new ad site is part of a deal between media owner JCDecaux and Network Rail.
Transport secretary Louise Haigh has told the bozos at Network Rail to get rid of it. Which may not please JCD and some advertisers. Tough on JCD actually which contributes quite a lot to communities through its street furniture (and brings rather needed revenue to Britain’s creaking rail and bus networks.)
But why do people like those at Network Rail always push such ad deals too far? Ads are supposed to help consumers not drive them to distraction.
