Abergynolwyn Station on the Talyllyn Railway provided a truly magical setting for the wedding of Jane and Timothy on Saturday 7th September 2024. The couple chose the station for their special day because of their love of the railway and the unique charm of the location, with Timothy describing it as having “a quality I can’t describe.”

Set amid picturesque scenery, the station offered a memorable backdrop for their celebration, blending the romance of the railway with the beauty of the surrounding landscape. The station’s charm has inspired generations: it served as the model for Skarloey Station in The Railway Series by Rev. Wilbert Awdry, the books that later inspired Thomas the Tank Engine.

Ashington is one of the country’s newest rail stations, with passenger services to Newcastle restored in December 2024 after a 60-year hiatus. The reopening has been transformative for the town, connecting residents to work, education, and leisure in just over 30 minutes – faster and more convenient than other forms of transport.

The town has a proud sporting heritage, producing some of Britain’s finest athletes, including World Cup winners Jack and Bobby Charlton, as well as cricket stars Mark Wood and Steve Harmison, and footballer Jack Milburn. Ashington is also home to the Pitmen Painters, an art group whose work remains internationally celebrated. Now, the station itself has joined this list of local achievements, offering modern, accessible facilities with step-free access, cycle storage, EV charging, and almost 300 parking spaces.

Beyond transport, the station has become a hub for community life. It features artwork by local schoolchildren and forms the start and finish of the Ashington Local Heroes Walking Tour, celebrating the town’s sporting and cultural icons. The station is helping to drive wider regeneration, linking the town to education, retail, and investment, and providing a lifeline that is reconnecting Ashington to the wider world.

Bristol Temple Meads is more than the grand western terminus of Brunel’s Great Western Railway - it played a pivotal role in changing how Britain measures time. Before railways, towns kept their own local time based on the Sun, with Bristol about ten minutes behind London. As train travel expanded, running services accurately required a standardised time.

Railway companies adopted “railway time” based on London’s clock, later forming the basis for Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). A lasting reminder is the historic clock above the old Corn Exchange, still showing two minute hands: black for Bristol Time, red for GMT, marking the city’s solar time difference.

Today, Bristol Temple Meads stands as a hub of travel and innovation, where the rhythm of trains once helped unite a nation. Its Grade I listed Victorian roof and historic train shed showcase architectural grandeur, making it a landmark of railway heritage and a gateway for passengers for generations.

Cambridge station, a Grade II listed building opened in 1845, was designed by Sancton Wood and Francis Thompson for the Eastern Counties Railway. Positioned a mile from the city centre, it was deliberately set away from university colleges to prevent undergraduates from “gallivanting” by train and neglecting their studies.

Over the years, the station has retained much of its historic charm, including 32 roundels displaying the coats of arms of Cambridge University’s colleges and local dignitaries. A major 2017 revamp restored its original beauty and improved transport links for buses, taxis, pedestrians and cyclists. Today, it boasts the largest bicycle parking facility in the UK, with space for 3,000 bikes, and the third-longest platform in the country at 470 metres.

Cambridge station has also welcomed some unusual visitors. A memorable highlight came when elephants from Chipperfield’s Circus were brought by train, ambling down the ramp by platform 3 each holding the tail of the elephant in front.

Chesterfield station is steeped in history and closely tied to one of the greatest names in rail. Just a short walk from the town’s famous Crooked Spire lies the resting place of George Stephenson, often called the 'Father of Railways.' His pioneering work shaped modern travel, and his legacy is still felt in the town and its station.

For generations, Chesterfield has been more than a stop on the Midland Main Line. It has been a gateway for new journeys, from family visits and career opportunities to the daily commute. Through wartime challenges and periods of regeneration, the station has stood as a place of resilience, connection and progress.

Today, Chesterfield combines its proud heritage with a modern role linking communities across the Midlands. A statue of George Stephenson outside the station serves as a lasting reminder of his influence, marking Chesterfield as both a place of travel and a cornerstone of railway history.

Exeter St Davids station has a special place in literary history. In 1934, publisher Allen Lane stopped at the station bookstall while travelling to London after visiting Agatha Christie. Frustrated by the poor quality and high price of the books on sale, he realised there was a need for affordable, quality reading. Within a year, Lane founded Penguin Books, sparking a paperback revolution that changed how people read.

Nearly a century later, the station continues to celebrate its literary link. Commuters can now pick up a book from a Penguin Books vending machine, installed in partnership with Penguin Books, Exeter UNESCO City of Literature, and Great Western Railway. What began as a small frustration for one man has become a lasting connection between travel, literature, and the city of Exeter itself.

Liverpool Lime Street is the world’s oldest grand railway terminus, opening in 1830 as the Liverpool & Manchester Railway came to life. In the age of steam, the station welcomed famous trains such as the Merseyside Express and boat trains like the Manxman and Shamrock, connecting passengers to ferries for the Isle of Man and Dublin.

Liverpool Lime Street Station was also a central point for passengers traveling to and from the city's port facilities, which were key to maritime trade routes to South America, West Africa, and China, contributing to the establishment of the Europe's oldest Chinese community.

The station was the starting point of the Fifteen Guinea Special in 1968, hauled by 70013 Oliver Cromwell and Black Fives, the last British Rail main-line passenger train to be hauled by steam locomotive power.

London Marylebone is a station with a colourful past and a remarkable present. Immortalised in 1964 when The Beatles were chased through its platforms in the opening of A Hard Day’s Night, it became part of pop culture history. Yet just two decades later, Marylebone’s future looked bleak. With passenger numbers falling, British Rail even considered closing the station or converting it into a coach terminal.

Happily, the plan was abandoned, and Marylebone was reborn as the southern hub of the Chiltern Main Line in the 1990s. Modernisation followed, new platforms were added in 2006, and the station gained a reputation as one of London’s most efficient and welcoming rail terminals.

The pride people feel in Marylebone runs deep. In 2024, as the station marked its 125th anniversary, Chiltern Railways’ Rehana Khawaja celebrated 20 years of service by legally adopting “Marylebone” as her middle name - a touching tribute to a station that helped shape her career.

During the Second World War, Paddington Station was one of London’s great evacuation gateways. Thousands of children passed through its platforms, bound either for safety in the countryside, others arriving through the Kindertransport - a rescue effort that brought Jewish children to Britain from Nazi-occupied Europe.

It was in scenes like this that Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear, later found inspiration. The sight of children arriving alone, carrying small suitcases and wearing cardboard name tags entrusted to the kindness of strangers, sparked the idea of a small bear who turns up at the station with a tag reading: “Please look after this bear.”

Paddington Station stands as a symbol of compassion in the face of upheaval. Its bronze statue of Paddington Bear is more than a photo stop for visitors: it represents the warmth, resilience, and spirit of welcome that defined the station and country during the war.

Today, Paddington continues that legacy of new beginnings, whether for commuters, travellers, or tourists from around the world - a place where journeys on the tracks are matched by stories of humanity and hope.

London Waterloo has been at the heart of Britain’s railways for more than a century. It played a central role in both World Wars, mobilising troops and serving as a key transport hub, and in 1965 it was the departure point for Winston Churchill’s funeral train, a poignant moment in British history.

Waterloo has long welcomed a mix of passengers, from Epsom racegoers to armed forces, and historically served as the London terminus for many famous boat trains. These included services from Southampton Docks, carrying passengers from iconic liners such as the Titanic, the Cunard Queens and the Union Castle Line to South Africa. Waterloo was also the first London station encountered by many from the Windrush Generation, commemorated today with a bronze statue on the concourse.

The station is steeped in tradition, from its Victory Arch marking World War I to its iconic clock, long a popular “meet under the clock” spot. Named trains like the Atlantic Coast Express, Royal Wessex, and Bournemouth Belle once departed from its platforms, and it was the last London terminus to run timetabled steam services, ending in 1967.

Today, London Waterloo remains a working hub, combining historical grandeur with modern functionality, and continues to welcome millions of passengers each year.

In 1804, the world’s first steam-hauled railway journey took place near Merthyr Tydfil Station, between Penydarren Ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil to Abercynon, using Richard Trevithick’s pioneering locomotive. This groundbreaking run proved that steam could move heavy loads on rails and marked the dawn of the railway age.

Merthyr Tydfil is also home to the Pont-y-Cafnau, the world’s oldest surviving iron railway bridge, built in 1793 to serve the town’s iron industry. Some of the original tracks from Trevithick’s historic journey are preserved at a memorial in Merthyr, a lasting reminder of the town’s pivotal role in railway history.

Behind the everyday bustle of Preston railway station lies a remarkable First World War story. Between 1915 and 1919, the station became a place of comfort for millions of servicemen passing through on their way to or from the front. Some were wounded and heading home, others were setting out on long journeys to Europe, often hungry and exhausted.

Recognising this, Mayoress Anna Cartmell and a group of local women launched the Preston Station Free Buffet in August 1915. Staffed entirely by volunteers, 400 women worked in shifts around the clock, ensuring the buffet was open 24 hours a day. On its very first day, 386 soldiers were served; by January 1917, daily numbers averaged over 3,000.

The effort reached extraordinary peaks, with nearly 12,500 troops receiving food and shelter in just 36 hours before Christmas 1916. For countless servicemen, Preston offered more than refreshments - it offered a moment of humanity amid the hardships of war.

Ramsgate Station played a vital role during the Second World War, helping bring soldiers home from the Dunkirk evacuation. While many troops landed at Dover, those travelling to more distant areas relied on trains. Historical records show that 82 trains from Ramsgate carried just under 43,000 men, making the station a key hub in the operation.

The station was also central to evacuating children from vulnerable towns and cities. In June 1940, over the course of just five hours, 3,255 children and 241 staff and helpers travelled by train from Ramsgate to Stafford, where they were placed with temporary foster families in safer, rural areas. These efforts ensured that thousands of children were removed from potential bombing targets and kept out of harm’s way.

Ramsgate Station thus stands as a reminder of courage, coordination, and community during one of Britain’s most challenging periods. Beyond its platforms and tracks, it served as a place of safety, relief, and hope, helping both soldiers and children reach home and security at a time of great uncertainty.

Ribblehead Station has played many roles throughout its history and continues to be a special place for thousands of visitors each year. It was a key part of the fight to save the Settle-Carlisle Railway and, despite being closed for many years, was beautifully restored. Today it houses a Visitor Centre and café, staffed entirely by volunteers who come from miles around.

These volunteers welcome travellers from near and far, serving refreshments and thousands of slices of Janet’s famous pineapple cake, a closely guarded secret. The station sits in the shadow of the world-famous Ribblehead Viaduct, adding to its charm and sense of place. Beyond their work, the volunteer team has formed lifelong friendships, supporting one another through milestones and sharing in the joys and quirks of station life.

For many, volunteering at Ribblehead is more than a hobby; it is a reason to get up in the morning and a way to be part of something larger than themselves. In this stunning part of the Yorkshire Dales, the station family shows how dedication to a unique and historic location can truly change lives.

Shirley Station is more than just a stop on the North Warwickshire line, it was the setting for a very special story. One station user, Wendy fondly remembers meeting her future husband on the station platform in the evenings, sharing moments of courtship as the sun set. Those simple, romantic meetings blossomed into a happy marriage lasting over fifty years.

Though her husband passed away four years ago, the memories of those early evenings at Shirley Station remain treasured by Wendy.

Shirley Station is a reminder that railway platforms are not just for journeys across towns and cities, they can also be stages for life’s most meaningful moments.

For more than a century, Skegness station has been the first step on countless seaside adventures. As trains brought holidaymakers to the Lincolnshire coast, the station became a place filled with anticipation - a gateway to the sand, sea and fresh air that defined the classic British seaside break.

Its iconic “Jolly Fisherman” poster captured the spirit of these escapes, and that sense of fun still lives on today. Every summer, new generations step off the train ready to enjoy fish and chips, amusement arcades and the promise of a day by the sea.

For the local community, the station has long been a vital link to education, employment and wider opportunities. Whether for work, study or play, Skegness remains a station where journeys begin and memories are made. A statue of the Jolly Fisherman at the station welcomes visitors, celebrating the town’s enduring seaside spirit.

Swanage Station is at the heart of a dedicated team of volunteers, ranging in age from 13 upwards. The station’s youngest members, known as 'Sygnets', work tirelessly to maintain wagons, clear pathways, and support daily operations, gaining skills that often take them onto mainline railways as the next generation of railway professionals.

Set just a five-minute walk from the beach, Swanage offers a beautiful setting and a host of themed events, from steam and diesel galas to the Polar Express and Ghost Train events. In addition to enjoying nostalgic train rides, visitors can enjoy a quick dip in the sea and ice cream.

Swanage is also deeply inclusive, celebrating neurodiversity and nurturing young talent across the railway industry, from engineers and drivers to guards. By recognising individual strengths and providing hands-on training and mentorship, the station helps young people realise their dreams while contributing fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the future of British railways.

For more than a century, Tilbury stood as a key point of arrival for people journeying to Britain. From emigrants and returning servicemen to post-war migrants seeking fresh opportunities, Tilbury became a symbol of hope and renewal.

One of its finest moments came in June 1948, when the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury, bringing hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean. Their arrival marked the beginning of a new chapter in British history, helping to shape modern society through the culture, community and identity they brought with them.

Tilbury’s role was not only practical but profoundly symbolic. It was a place where lives changed direction, where Britain opened its doors, and where generations of families began their stories in a new land. Today, Tilbury and the station endure as a reminder of resilience, diversity and belonging.

Vauxhall is one of London’s busiest stations, with over 13 million entries and exits a year, and the first major UK station ‘adopted’ by an LGBTQ+ group. The area is a hub for the queer community, with almost one in ten residents identifying as LGBTQ+ and South London’s oldest gay venue, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, just moments away.

For decades, Vauxhall Station has provided a gateway to this vibrant community, offering a safe space from the days when homosexuality was criminalised, through the AIDS crisis, to today. In October 2024, South Western Railway celebrated the adoption of the station by its Pride Network and the charity LGBT HERO, which supports over 100,000 LGBTQ+ people each month.

In July 2025, to mark Railway 200, newly commissioned artworks by local queer artists were installed, highlighting how railways have connected LGBTQ+ people across the country. The partnership demonstrates that the railway should be a place where everyone feels welcome and safe. Few stations can claim to have shaped so many lives over decades, making Vauxhall a landmark not just in transport, but in community, visibility, and inclusion.

York station has long been at the heart of Britain’s railway story. Its location helped establish the city as a 'railway city' and was a key factor in York being chosen as the site of the National Railway Museum. The station’s beautiful curved roof, a striking example of Victorian engineering, welcomes thousands of passengers daily and remains a symbol of the city’s rail heritage.

Over the decades, York station has shown remarkable resilience and transformation. It recovered from wartime bomb damage, adapted to modern needs, and undergone upgrades while retaining its historic charm. Today, it serves as the main hub for the National Rail Eastern region and many train operators, balancing busy commuter traffic with its role as a gateway for tourists and rail enthusiasts visiting the museum.

York continues to combine history with modern functionality, standing as a proud testament to the past, present, and future of Britain’s railways.