Stourbridge named Britain’s favourite railway station in public vote

Stourbridge has been named Britain’s favourite station after winning the World Cup of Stations 2021.

Out of more than 2,500 stations across the country, Stourbridge was shortlisted as one of 48 qualifying stations participating in the week-long tournament of Twitter polls.

Stourbridge was one of twelve group winners to go to the semi-finals winning the most votes in its group. Each group was categorised by what the stations and local area are well-known for such as being the gateway for adventure, culture, history or nights out. Stourbridge was in the enthusiasts group.

Having come through a tough semi-final, Stourbridge went up against Aviemore, Glasgow Central and St Ives. In a nail-biting final, Stourbridge overtook Glasgow Central in the last minutes taking 43.3% of the votes, with Glasgow Central agonisingly close with 40.9%.

The competition came as stations up and down the country are welcoming more and more passengers back on board. The summer saw a huge uplift of leisure journeys to almost pre-pandemic levels with staycationers, daytrippers and shoppers making the most of stress-free travel to arrive at their destinations. Commuter rail journeys are also steadily increasing with workers going back to offices. 

Research commissioned by Rail Delivery Group, which ran the World Cup of Stations, shows the important role of a thriving railway and estimates that the total spend of rail passengers on things like shops, restaurants and hotels, generates £133 billion a year for local businesses nationally, and £6.5 billion in the West Midlands.

Simone Carter, West Midlands Railway’s station manager for Stourbridge, said:
“A big thank you to everyone who voted for us. This is a huge honour for everyone who works at the station and we are all celebrating. In fact, since he heard the news, our Senior Mouse Catcher, George, hasn’t come off the roof.”

Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive at the Rail Delivery Group said:
“Congratulations to Stourbridge station and all the staff. It was a close-run contest and though there can only be one champion, the groundswell of support for Stourbridge and all stations and rail staff across the country is testament to the crucial role they play in their areas and how they support local communities and businesses.”