Are you lucky enough to live near a top-tier train station? Whether it’s because a station is punctual and reliable or is flat-out beautiful, a great rail hub can make your everyday a whole lot better.
The World Cup of Stations, a competition by the Rail Delivery Group, is out to celebrate the country’s best train stations. This year’s contest saw hubs compete for the title of ‘Station with the Best Local Businesses’, with the heats and finals taking place the week before last.
The award, as you might have guessed, is intended to celebrate stations which are surrounded by tip-top local businesses. This year it was decided by public vote, with 100,000 votes cast throughout the week.
Coming out top overall was Maghull, a station on the Merseyrail network. Congrats, residents of Maghull! You officially boast the country’s best rail hub. Maghull, for those not so well acquainted with the northwest, is a town in Merseyside sitting just north of Liverpool proper.
So, what makes Maghull’s station special? Merseyrail attributes its success to its ‘fantastic station team’ and popular café The Coffee Carriage, though World Cup of Stations also notes the hub’s ‘vibrant green space’. Maghull beat King’s Lynn in Norfolk and Dorridge in the West Midlands in the final.
Commenting on the win, Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotherham said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted that Maghull station has been recognised nationally and I know how much it means to all the people involved.
‘This fantastic achievement is a testament to the incredible spirit of our local community, as well as the hard work of the station team and volunteers. Along with the folks at The Coffee Carriage, they have made Maghull a proper community hub where people feel welcome and connected.’
Time Out and the UK’s train stations
We Brits love moaning about this country’s rail services (and with incoming strikes in London, who can blame us?) but it isn’t all bad. London’s Elizabeth line just picked up the UK’s most prestigious architectural award – plus, check out Time Out’s top 12 train stations in the UK.
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