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After a tumultuous year of strikes and pay disputes, there have frankly been much better times to be a rail enthusiast in the UK. But now here’s something for trainspotters and transport museum annual-pass holders to get excited about: the 2023 ‘Railway Oscars’ have finally arrived.
You heard that right. The National Rail Awards, the UK’s biggest celebration of train-related success stories, were dished out last week. Categories ranged from Freight and Logistics Achievement of the Year (well done to the Highland Spring Group!) to station of the year.
The award is split based on stations’ sizes, including ‘small station of the year’, with each hub assessed on a number of criteria, including customer service, disabled access and special features such as flower beds or community links. The competition is surprisingly intense, with hundreds of stations nominating themselves each year.
This year, Okehampton station in Devon bagged the trophy. The station was commended for its successful reopening in 2021 after a history of closures and disrupted services.
Mid-Devon’s station manager Mel Harvey said: ‘Winning this award is testament to our amazing team who look after Okehampton, ensuring it looks just as good today as it did the day it reopened two years ago.’
‘In that time, it has become a focal point for our community, a transport hub with buses connecting to our services, and of course a thriving railway station linking Okehampton and West Devon with Exeter and beyond.’
Little Okehampton, congrats on a big win!
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