Stourbridge Junction Pipped in World Cup of Stations
During the week from 12 to 16 October, the Rai Delivery Group organised a poll which it called the World Cup of Stations to determine the Station of the Year.
48 stations were nominated and were split into 12 groups. The winner of each group moved forwards into the semi-finals which consisted of 4 groups of three. The four winners of the semi-finals competed in the final.
Stourbridge Junction romped through its initial group and beat two "heavyweights" (Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central) to reach the final.
The final was very close with Stourbridge Junction leading until the last 15 minutes when it was pipped by Glasgow Central by only 0.3% of the vote..
Although it is disappointing to have lost by such a small margin, we must be proud that a relatively small station should be named as the second best station in the country. Thanks must go to the leader of our campaign who can be seen drowning his sorrows below.
The full results were as follows :-
Round 1 (winners of each group in capitals)
NORTH EAST - Middlesbrough, NEWCASTLE, Chathill, Blaydon
NORTH WEST - Ainsdale, CREWE, Hindley, Wigan North WesternSCOTLAND - Aberdeen, GLASGOW QUEEN STREET, Motherwell, Wemyss Bay
EAST - Bedford, CAMBRIDGE, Kempston Hardwick, Welwyn Garden City
EAST MIDLANDS - Leicester, NOTTINGHAM, Bottesford, Spalding YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER - Cleethorpes, HUDDERSFIELD, Hull, Mytholmroyd
SOUTH WEST - Barnstaple, BRISTOL TEMPLE MEADS, Sherborne, Worcestershire Parkway,
WALES - CARDIFF CENTRAL, Newport, Pontypridd, Swansea
WEST MIDLANDS - Leamington Spa, STOURBRIDGE JUNCTION, Tamworth, Warwick Parkway
LONDON - Elmstead Woods, Falconwood, LONDON KINGS CROSS, London Waterloo
NRA BEST STATION WINNER - Chirk, Norwich, PENRITH, Reading
SOUTH EAST - Aylesbury, Hedge End, Sandown, SEVENOAKS
SEMI-FINALS
NORTH – Crewe, GLASGOW QUEEN STREET, Newcastle
EAST – Cambridge, HUDDERSFIELD, Nottingham
WEST – Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff Central, STOURBRIDGE JUNCTION
SOUTH – LONDON KINGS CROSS, Penrith, Sevenoaks
FINAL
GLASGOW QUEEN STREET (31.3%), Huddersfield (15.8%), London Kings Cross (21.9%), Stourbridge Junction (31%)