The tiny 153-year-old train station that was just crowned the best in Britain

All aboard the triumph train, because Britain’s greatest rail hub has just been crowned. The World Cup of Stations, an annual competition by National Rail’s Rail Delivery Group, pits Britain’s top train stations against each other via public vote. And there’s a new champ for 2026.

Now in its eighth year, 20 rail depots were up for the grand title in 2026, including two stops in the Big Smoke. In the end, though, a small 153-year-old station outside Manchester took home the glory.

Irlam in Greater Manchester is the new holder of the World Cup of Stations title. The station, which is operated by Northern, is unstaffed, despite hosting more than 350,000 passengers each year and connecting commuters to the city centre and holidaymakers to the wider northwest.

The theme of this year’s World Cup of Stations was 'the stations creating connections that matter'. Irlam, which first opened in 1873, houses a café, bar and event space inside its 100-year-old building, offering a space for locals to catch up decked out in rail-themed memorabilia. It’s even been home to a wedding or two in its time. 

Plus, local community group Friends of Irlam Station hosts groups of kids on school trips, teaching them about its classic signal box and steam locomotive.

Previous winners of the World Cup of Stations include Ashington Station, which took home the prize last year after passenger services were restored in December 2024 following a 60-year hiatus. Maghull station in Merseyside, Wemyss Bay in Scotland, Dudley’s Stourbridge Junction, Glasgow Queen Street and Huddersfield have all previously won.

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