Weddings, baby showers and ABBA tribute nights: Station bringing local community together in the running to be crowned Britain’s best

A railway station which has been transformed into a thriving community hub, that hosts everything from school trips to a summer music festival, is up for a coveted national award.

Irlam station, in Greater Manchester, is competing in this year's World Cup of Stations competition and the public have until 11.59pm on Sunday, 18 October to vote for the winner.

Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operating companies, is running the competition to celebrate stations which bring local communities together by "creating connections that matter".

Irlam is one of five stations that have made it through to the final round, after more than 150 from all over the country entered.

It has been transformed into a place the community can enjoy and take pride in by volunteer group Friends of Irlam Station (FIRST) and local charity Hamilton Davies Trust.

David Ollerenshaw, Chairman of FIRST, said: "To get through to the final round of this competition is unbelievable. We're encouraging people to vote for us and come down and see what's on offer here, so they can enjoy a day out.

"We call it the hub of Irlam and Cadishead. It brings people together, whether it's for a coffee and a chat, a really good meal or an event.

"There are a lot of regulars who keep coming back and they like to bring their friends and spread the word, so we have new people turning up each week.

"We have a summer music event, with live bands and DJs that attracts hundreds of people of all ages. The atmosphere is always electric.

"We have baby showers and weddings, beer festivals with oompah bands, ABBA and Bon Jovi tribute nights, and our big Christmas event each year. The children always get a visit from Father Christmas, who arrives on a Northern train, and presents in the grotto.

"The community always come together for these events, they love them. A lot of people passing through the station are surprised to see there is so much going on, and some decided to jump off and join in."

The railway station is run by Northern and used by more than 350,000 passengers a year.

The station house was derelict for nearly 25 years. But it reopened in 2015 after a £2 million restoration, which preserved the Victorian style of the red-brick building.

There is a now hugely popular café bar on the ground floor, with train carriage booths for diners to eat in, and two cosy rooms on the mezzanine that are available for private hire.

They are used to host events for the local community throughout the year, including weddings and civil ceremonies.

The platform features captivating artwork which celebrates the district's industrial past, depicting the workers who built the railways and waterways, and an array of colourful flower displays tended to by volunteers throughout the year.

There is also a heritage room, that is home to fascinating railway artefacts and memorabilia, stations gardens filled with wildflowers and 3D sculptures, and a 142-year-old signal box that has been restored and reopened.

Schoolchildren are regularly invited to take tours of the station to learn more about railway history and safety.

Voting takes place online at raildeliverygroup.com/WorldCupOfStations up until Sunday, 18 October. The finalists are Cardross, Irlam, Brookwood, Yatton and Berney Arms.

Last year, Ashington took the World Cup of Stations title, after it brought passenger services back to the town in Northumberland for the first time in 60 years.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,650 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.