Two Welsh stations have been shortlisted for the “World Cup of Stations 2025” as the event enters its final stage.
Some 20 stations are going head-to-head for the title of Most Life-Changing Station.
Hosted by Rail Delivery Group, the competition gives the public the chance to decide which station deserves the crown, drawing on everything from sporting firsts and pop-culture moments to wartime stories and even first dates. Voting opens today at 00:01 and will close on 11:59pm on 17 October 2025.
Following the nomination phase earlier this year, which saw 330 entries received from all over Britain, a judging panel comprising industry leaders, public figures and historians selected 20 standout stations to compete in the public vote stretching from Ashington in the North to Swanage in the South.
Members of the public are invited to pick their favourite from the 20 shortlisted stations, with the station receiving the most votes crowned Britain’s Most Life-Changing Station. Vote for your local station at www.raildeliverygroup.com/WorldCupOfStations
Part of this year’s Railway 200 celebration marking 200 years since the birth of the modern railway, this year’s World Cup of Stations shines a spotlight on the stories behind the stations — from moments of resilience and renewal to the ways they’ve brought communities together.
Shortlisted stations in Wales you can vote for are:
- Abergynolwyn – Wedding Bells on the Railway
Abergynolwyn Station on the Talyllyn Railway provided a truly magical setting for the wedding of Jane and Timothy on Saturday 7 September 2024 (above). 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. - Merthyr Tydfil – A Historic Steam Locomotive Journey
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 rails from Trevithick’s historic journey are preserved at a memorial in Merthyr, a lasting reminder of the town’s pivotal role in railway history.
