Yorkshire railway stations on World Cup shortlist

The concourse of York Railway station. Two platforms are visible and there are several passengers on both platforms. A maroon coloured train with a yellow front is pulling into one of the platforms whilst a white train with a red and yellow front is leaving the station. The arched roof of the station is visible.

York Railway Station was the largest in the world when it opened in 1877

Jack Hadaway-Weller
York

Two railway stations in North Yorkshire have become finalists in an annual competition to name the country's favourite.

Ribblehead Station, in the Yorkshire Dales, and York Station are among 20 sites shortlisted for the Rail Delivery Group's World Cup of Stations competition, with the winner being awarded the title of "Most Life-Changing Station".

Praising Ribblehead Station, Anna Jackson, from The Settle and Carlisle Railway Trust, said it was "a real lifeline for people living out in the remote rural communities".

Meanwhile, regular train traveller Russ Briggs said York Station "gets us where we want to go, but when you're sat waiting and you look at what it is, it also looks good".

A total of 330 different stations were nominated for this year's competition.

A judging panel of industry leaders, public figures and historians picked the 20 finalists to compete in a public vote.

A black and white image of a snow-covered station.The Settle Carlisle Railway Trust Archive

Ribblehead Station, shown in an archive picture under winter snow, originally opened in 1876

Last year's winner of the competition was Maghull station in Merseyside.

Ribblehead and York are the only two stations in Yorkshire to make it to the final shortlist for 2025.

Ms Jackson said: "Next year is the 150th anniversary of the Settle to Carlisle line.

"To have one of our stations at the top, to win the World Cup, would be fantastic."

A man with a thick white moustache sitting in York station. He is wearing a navy blue Settle-Carlisle Railway hat and a black coat. He is sitting on a bench and behind him a white and blue Northern train is at a platform.

Howard Moxon said he liked both Ribblehead and York stations, but thought York's would win the World Cup contest

However, Howard Moxon, a trainspotter from Yorkshire who travels around the country, said while he was a fan of Ribblehead Station, there were several reasons why York Station could win.

"There's the National Railway Museum here, which is the main attraction here and why I am here today," he explained.

"One can tell York station has been here a long time and its infrastructure is very good," he added.

The voting phase of the World Cup of Stations runs until Friday 17 October.

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