How the best railway station in UK earned its title

It is a mild Friday morning in October and although rush hour has been and gone, Maghull railway station is still a hive of activity.

There is a hustle and bustle that you might not expect at a North West station at this time of the year, or indeed any time of the year, for that matter.

But Maghull is not just a couple of dreary platforms where you can make your way from A to B.

In fact, the unassuming Merseyrail station is basking in the afterglow of its victory in the 2024 World Cup of Stations competition – having just been named best in the UK.

And it doesn’t take too long to work out what impressed the judges at the Railway Delivery Group, organisers of the contest.

When the BBC turned up to find out just what makes Maghull so special, the first thing we notice is the car park – it is free, and there are plenty of parking spaces, as well as a bus exchange service.

Big tick.

The entrance to the station is through a traditional-style brick building that leads to a ticket office, and, since February, The Coffee Carriage café.

A footbridge takes passengers across to a second platform, which includes a waiting area with an railway-themed stained glass window, donated by a local artist.

Heading in, we immediately bump into 85-year-old volunteer Margaret Walton, armed with her trusty litter-picker, plastic bucket and high-vis jacket.

A member from the Maghull Volunteers group comes every single day – “including Christmas” – to keep things looking spic-and-span, she tells us.

But Margaret’s contribution to station life is evident is far more than the clean pavements outside.

Intricate murals depicting station life, including the staff working there today, adorn the brick building – are all painted by Margaret in her spare time.

When asked whether she studied art, she quipped: “Oh no, I taught myself – they wouldn’t let me into college because I couldn’t spell.”

Outside the station building are lovingly-maintained planter boxes, a “secret garden”, and quirky sculptures – all the handiwork of Maghull Volunteers and other community groups.

Chairwoman Doreen Bird, 81, said the group has been together approximately 20 years after being founded by the late Nigel Winchester and Alan Pritchard.

“I just love it,” she said, when asked what motivated her to keep Maghull station looking its best.

“It’s amazing really how much people appreciate the station being as beautiful as it is.

“What one lady said to me is; ‘it makes me smile every Monday morning when I really don’t want to go to work’.

“That’s all it takes, I think that’s why we do it.”

And the evidence from our visit backs that up.

As we chat to the staff there, several passengers stop to offer their congratulations or ask “did you win then?”.

One was Maureen Webb, from Lydiate, who was on her way to Liverpool for a charity bash for the Linda McCartney Centre.

The 81-year-old, who still runs her own tailoring business, told the BBC: “It’s clean, it’s well cared for by the staff and volunteers who do a wonderful job.

“If there was more people like that in the world we’d be much better off.”

The Gillespie family are new to the area but have already developed a sense of pride in their local station.

Tom Gillespie, 67, said: “It’s dead friendly, you get off the train and there’s always people pottering around.”

His wife Marie added: “You get off the train and it’s a great little train station. It’s only small but it’s beautiful.”

One common theme that emerges is how Maghull has evolved into a real centre for community life.

Undoubtedly, the arrival of the Coffee Carriage in February, one of three station cafes owned by local entrepreneurs Rory McLellan and Craig Reeves, has taken Maghull’s appeal to a new level.

As well as its traditional purpose, the cafe also hosts everything from “knit and natter” sessions to men’s mental health and cancer charity meet-ups.

A growing number of charities and volunteer organisations use the station as a meeting or gathering point, including the Friday Strollers walking group.

Stroller June Avery told the BBC: “It’s a very welcoming place isn’t it.

“It’s a really community feel, it’s bringing people together. You get off the train and it really lightens your mood.

“You go to some stations and you see planter boxes but nobody really looks after them, they’re full of litter and ciggie stubs.”

Manning the fort in the cafe was barista Liz Roger, who summed up what makes Maghull special.

“I think it’s about being part of the community, she said: “It’s not just saying well we serve coffee and cakes, it’s about everything…

“They come to us because they think we’re a lovely place to come and we love them coming.”

Taking a seat inside the cosy room, adorned with fairy lights and wooden pallets, as well as pictures of the Maghull railway tracks in all their glory, we catch up with station manager Sonya Hampson, who has managed Maghull and eight other stations for about eight years.

Sonya said Maghull did not become a proud community asset overnight.

“It’s a combination of a lot of things”, she said.

“We’ve got a good staff team who are very conscientious and they live in and around the station. They know most of the customers by name.

“Then we’ve got our volunteers who keep the station looking beautiful.”

When asked what other stations would need to do to challenge Maghull for the title, she said: “If they want to build a community then they need to find the heart of it, they need to encourage people to care about their station and to take time to nurture the locals.”

In a nod to the station retailers based at Maghull full-time, she said: “We’re not just here to sell tickets or tend to the gardens or sell a coffee -they’re actually interested in people’s lives.”

But the staff also benefit from working somewhere with heart.

Station retailer Angela Horton, who has plied her trade at Maghull for 17 years, said: “We start at half five, and then the flowers are in full bloom, you get up in the morning and it’s light and it’s all in full bloom, it starts your day off good.

“In actually makes you feel good, it’s amazing.”

Her colleague Ian Harrison, based at Maghull for 14 years, added: “If you’re doing your little jobs on the station and you walk across the bridge and look out over the bus-stop area you see all these flowers and it does look amazing.”

Ray Badrock has also worked at Maghull for 14 years, and even appears in one of Margaret’s murals outside the main building.

He said: “It’s a really friendly atmosphere.

“It’s the same people they all keep in touch they all know us by our first names.”