NRA Small Station of the Year award 2024: Wemyss Bay (ScotRail)

Wemyss Bay (ScotRail) won the 2024 Small Station of the Year award in the National Rail Awards.

Highly Commended recognition was awarded to Chirk (Transport for Wales) and Workington (Northern).

Wemyss Bay has frequently been described as an architectural gem and a showpiece of Scotland’s rail network.

Its sweeping glass-roofed concourse and walkway to the adjacent ferry terminal, dominated by a 60-foot clock tower, has earned the station a Category A rating and several heritage awards - including top spot in the Rail Delivery Group’s 2023 World Cup of Stations.

Opened in 1865 and rebuilt in 1903 by the Caledonian Railway, the Inverclyde Line terminus continues to connect passengers from Glasgow Central with ferry services to destinations including Rothesay.

The famous James Miller-designed station buildings underwent major refurbishment by Network Rail, Inverclyde Council and Scottish Government between 2014-16.

This programme restored the canopies and glazed roof, repainted the station in its historic colour scheme, and repaired the sea wall.

The enhanced fabric of the station has been augmented by the work of the Friends of Wemyss Bay community group, formed in 2009 to restore the containers of plants for which the concourse had also previously been famous.

The judges said: “The famous design features of this station are superbly well maintained, as Transport for Scotland and the Friends of Wemyss Bay work together to meet their passengers’ needs and expectations, within a treasured heritage environment.

“We found that the attention to detail in their work even extends to recent repaving, and provision of flower beds at the entrance to the car park.”

More than 164,000 passengers used the station in 2022-23, via an hourly service to Glasgow that was electrified by British Rail in 1967.

Go to our results story for a list of all the winners at the 2024 National Rail Awards, together with more pictures from the event at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel, Park Lane, London on 12th September.