Northern station praised at ‘Railway Oscars’ awards

Workington station was highly commended in the Small Station of the Year category at the National Rail Awards in London.

The awards followed visits by judges to 145 stations across the country.

Stations were assessed on criteria including accessibility, information provision, ticketing infrastructure, customer service, and overall presentation.

The station's links with its community were also considered.

Workington station, managed by Jane Murray and her team, serves more than 237,000 customers each year.

The station has been praised for providing excellent customer service (Image: Northern)

It is home to the Rails Which Circled The World exhibition, which highlights the historical importance of the railway to the town’s coal mines, ironworks, steelworks, and docks.

At the awards ceremony, Stewart Hall and Darin Astbury were also highly commended in the Outstanding Personal Contribution (Frontline) category for their work at Brinnington station in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

The pair, who both work for Northern, were recognised for setting up and running a swap shop at the station, providing essential items like food, clothes, books, and other household items to people in the community.

Tricia Williams, Northern's managing director, said: "We’re incredibly proud of the staff who received recognition for their passion and commitment at last night’s awards ceremony.

"Jane and her team have done an excellent job of maintaining this historic station in recent years and providing outstanding customer service."

The National Rail Awards celebrate the achievements and pursuit of excellence across every aspect of the rail industry and are known as the ‘Railway Oscars’.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.