Fifteen stations in the former county of Cheshire have scooped awards at the 19th Cheshire Best Kept Stations Awards evening.
This year’s awards evening was held in Northwich on 1 April. Host, Chris Jackson, Regional director at Northern was joined by almost 100 guests including station volunteers, rail industry partners and local dignitaries with seventy guests tuning in online to watch the livestream.
Highlights from the evening included Hoylake Station in Wirral winning the coveted overall ‘Best Kept Station Award’, Romiley Station in Stockport receiving the Community Rail Network Award for community engagement, and first-time wins for Disley Station for Best Kept Gardens and Woodsmoor Station for Northern Most Improved Station. Meanwhile Handforth Station picked up an impressive 17th award, winning the Cross Country Promoting Rail Award.
Alf Clark from Cheshire Best Kept Stations, said: “Our awards evening is a celebration and a thank you for all the volunteers and community groups who do so much to brighten up our stations in Cheshire. We have seen some truly excellent work from volunteers and staff at stations right across the county”.
Martin Clarke, Support and Sustainability Manager at Community Rail Network, said: “Community rail is all about communities coming together to make the most out of their local rail service. These awards show the passion and dedication of volunteers from communities across Cheshire, who work tirelessly to ensure their local station is a proud gateway to the local area. It was an inspiring evening, and congratulations to all involved.”
Chris Jackson, Regional Director at Northern, said: “It is fantastic to be part of this celebration of volunteers and the local railway community, who through their incredible skills, passion and hard work, help to brighten up stations across the county. Our community partners are the heartbeat of the railway and we’re extremely proud to work closely with them to deliver such a wide-ranging positive impact for the North of England.”
Read more about the annual Cheshire Best Kept Stations Awards here: www.bestkeptstations.org.uk
