News

POYNTON SCOOPS TOP HONOUR AT STATION AWARDS

8th February 2008

Poynton Station scooped top honours at the Cheshire Best Kept Stations Awards, held at the Salt Museum, Northwich.

Poynton was named Best Kept Station, after Northern Rail joined forces with the local Brookside Garden Centre to create some stunning floral displays to welcome customers. Holmes Chapel, also managed by Northern Rail, received a special award for Customer Service.

Other Northern Rail winners included:

• Chelford – Tidiest Station
• Handforth – ACorp Award
• Mobberley – Cheshire Community Award
• Plumley – Roberts Bakery Award

Jamie Ross, Area Director, Northern Rail said: “We’re delighted so many of our stations have been recognised in these awards and that means our staff have been recognised too for the quality of service they provide to our customers.

“Our partnerships with community groups such as the volunteers at Chelford have also helped to improve the station environment for customers and we’re delighted the awards acknowledge such efforts.”

Chris Halsall, proprietor of Brookside Garden Centre, which has its own half-mile miniature railway said: “I am delighted to help my local station. It is the local gateway to Poynton and it is important we strive to make our stations more inviting.”

- Ends -

Notes to editors

Accompanying photograph shows Glyn Owen – Derbyshire, Station Supervisor at Poynton and Chris Halsall of Brookside Garden Centre.

For further information contact the Northern Rail press office on 01904 568652 or 01904 568670.

Northern Rail is the biggest train operator in Britain, providing 2,500 local and regional train services every day across the north of England, serving a population of nearly 15m. We are now carrying 77 million passengers a year, 20% more than when we started our franchise in December 2004.

Northern Rail is owned by Serco-NedRailways, a joint venture established in 2002 that combines Serco’s world-class service credentials and NedRailways’ unrivalled rail industry expertise. Serco has run the highly successful Docklands Light Railway since 1997 while NedRailways’ parent, NS Dutch Railways, carries over 1.1 million passengers every day in the Netherlands.

In addition to Northern Rail, Serco-NedRailways has the 25-year concession for Merseyrail, which provides urban train services in Merseyside.

Recent Northern honours

Public Transport Operator of the Year - National Transport Awards 2007

Winners – Example of Excellence in Rural Action, Business in the Community Awards 2007

Overall Winners - Community Rail Awards 2007