How Britain’s best train station earned its title

It’s a quiet Friday morning in October and although rush hour has passed, Maghull railway station is still bustling with activity.

At this time of year, or any time of year, there is a bustle at Northwestern Station that you wouldn’t expect.

But Maghull isn’t just a couple of dull platforms to get you from point A to point B.

In fact, the modest Merseyrail station basks in the sea. afterglow of his victory in the 2024 World Station Cup competition – has just been named the UK’s best.

And it’s not difficult to understand what impressed the judges of the Railway Delivery company, the organizers of the competition.

When the BBC turned up to find out what makes Maghull so special, the first thing we noticed was the car park: it’s free, there’s plenty of parking and there’s also a bus exchange office.

Big tick.

The station is entered through a traditional-style brick building which leads to the ticket office and, from February, the Coffee Carriage café.

A pedestrian bridge takes passengers to a second platform, which includes a waiting area with a railroad-themed stained glass window donated by a local artist.

Heading inside, we’re immediately confronted by 85-year-old volunteer Margaret Walton, armed with her trusty bin bin, plastic bucket and hi-vis jacket.

A member of Maghull’s volunteer team comes in every single day – “including Christmas” – to keep everything looking immaculate, she said.

But Margaret’s contribution to the life of the station is obvious, it is much more than just clean sidewalks outside.

The brick building is decorated with intricate murals depicting station life, including the staff who work there today, all painted by Margaret in her spare time.

When asked if she studied art, she joked: “Oh no, I taught myself – I wasn’t allowed into college because I couldn’t write.”

Outside the station building are carefully tended flower boxes, a ‘secret garden’ and whimsical sculptures – all the work of Maghull volunteers and other community groups.

Chairman Doreen Bird, 81, said the group had been around for about 20 years after it was founded by the late Nigel Winchester and Alan Pritchard.

“I just love it,” she said when asked what motivated her to keep Maghull station looking its best.

“It’s amazing how much people appreciate the station as beautiful as it is.

“One woman told me, ‘I smile every Monday morning when I really don’t want to go to work.’

“That’s all it takes, I think that’s why we do it.”

And the facts of our visit confirm this.

As we chat with the staff, several passengers stop to offer congratulations or ask, “You win, then?”

One of them was Maureen Webb from Lydiate, who was heading to Liverpool for a charity evening for the Linda McCartney Centre.

The 81-year-old, who still runs her own sewing business, told the BBC: “It’s clean and well looked after by staff and volunteers who do a great job.

“If there were more people like this in the world, we would be much better off.”

The Gillespie family was new to the area, but had already developed a sense of pride in their local station.

Tom Gillespie, 67, said: “It’s very friendly here, you get off the train and there are always people milling about.”

His wife Marie added: “You get off the train and it’s a great little train station. She’s small but beautiful.”

One common theme that emerges is how Maghull has become a real center of community life.

There’s no doubt that the arrival in February of Coffee Carriage, one of three station cafes owned by local entrepreneurs Rory McLellan and Craig Reeves, has raised Maghull’s appeal to a new level.

As well as its traditional purpose, the café also hosts everything from knitting and chat sessions to charity meetings on men’s mental health and cancer.

An increasing number of charities and voluntary organizations use the station as a meeting or gathering place, including the walking group Friday Strollers.

Pram June Avery told the BBC: “It’s a very welcoming place, isn’t it?

“It really is a sense of community, it brings people together. You get off the train and it really lifts your spirits.”

“You go into some stations and you see flower boxes, but no one really looks after them, they are full of rubbish and cigarette butts.”

Leading the charge in the cafe was barista Liz Roger, who summed up what makes Maghull special.

“I think it’s about being part of the community,” she said: “It’s not just about us serving good coffee and cakes, it’s about everything…

“They come to us because they think we’re a great place and we love having them come.”

Taking a seat in a cozy room decorated with fairy lights and wooden pallets, as well as photographs of Maghull’s railway lines in all their glory, we meet station manager Sonia Hampson, who managed Maghull and eight other stations for some eight years. years.

Sonia said Maghull did not become a source of pride overnight.

“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” she said.

“We have a good team of employees who are very conscientious and live in and around the station. They know most clients by name.

“Then we have our volunteers who keep the station beautiful.”

When asked what other stations need to do to challenge Maghull for the title, she replied: “If they want to build a community, they need to find the essence of it, they need to encourage people to care about their station and take responsibility.” It’s time to educate the locals.”

Paying tribute to the station sellers who work full-time in Maghull, she said: “We’re not just here to sell tickets, tend the gardens or sell coffee – they really take an interest in people’s lives.”

But it’s also good for staff to work somewhere with passion.

Station retailer Angela Horton, who has been trading in Maghull for 17 years, said: “We start at half past five and then the flowers bloom, you get up in the morning, it’s light and everything is in full bloom. your day off starts well.

“It actually makes you feel good, it’s amazing.”

Her colleague Ian Harrison, who has worked in Maghull for 14 years, added: “If you do your little job at the station and walk over the bridge and look at the bus stop, you see all these flowers and it really does look amazing.”

Ray Budrock also worked at Maghull for 14 years and even appears in one of Margaret’s murals outside the main building.

He said: “It’s a really friendly atmosphere.

“It’s the same people that they all keep in touch with, they all know us by name.”