This south London train station is competing to be crowned best in the UK for 2024

Is it weird to have a favourite train station? We don’t think so. Whether it’s because a station is historic and beautiful or swish and ultra-modern, filled with great amenities or simply has trains running on time, everyone has a fave rail hub.

London is home to loads of train stations that fit all the above criteria – which is why we weren’t massively surprised to hear that four stations in the capital would be competing in this year’s World Cup of Stations.

What’s the World Cup of Stations, you ask? We’ll fill you in. It’s a competition hosted by the Rail Delivery Group that aims to celebrate the role of rail in supporting communities, businesses and the wider economy.

This year, 48 stations across the UK are competing for the title of ‘Station with the Best Local Businesses’. Bowes Park, Richmond, Thornton Heath and West Hampstead Thameslink repped London in a heat yesterday (October 14).

Each heat is decided by a public vote, with winning stations making it through to semi-finals on October 17. Winners from that will progress to a final on October 18, before the winner is announced on October 22.

In London’s heat, Thornton Heath came out on top with 37.21 percent of the vote. The south London station is served by Southern, and operates trains to central London hubs Victoria and London Bridge. 

Congrats, Thornton Heath! The station will go on to a semi-final on Thursday. You can vote in all future rounds (and see all competitors) on the Rail Delivery Group website here.

London’s train stations and Time Out

Are you up to date on the comings and goings of London’s rail hubs? Recently on Time Out, Caledonian Road on the Piccadilly line will be partially closed for the next month and a bit, Clapham Common’s platform isn’t getting widened, the Bakerloo extension just got a step closer to getting built and plans have been revealed to fix London’s worst station.

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