Britain’s railway stations have often been the butt of jokes for years, usually as a result of either dark & cold waiting areas or what seem more like shopping centres than a place to start a journey.
However, as Tony Naylor of the Guardian notes, there is a slow renaissance in the old idea that a station should be more than somewhere you sit waiting for the 6.55 to Euston and perhaps instead should have a little more of a social life surrounding it.
In a recent article he predicts a move more towards the introduction of licenced refreshment rooms – in essence a station pub – such as the Steam House at Urmston, Greater Manchester, and the Jubilee Refreshment Rooms at Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire. These establishments especially are bucking the trend of soggy railway sandwiches to introduce a whole new concept in wining and dining on Britains railway network.
It remains to be seen if we will see this kind of improvement across the entire railway network and perhaps a little less emphasis on trying to sell us books, CDs and overpriced coffee, but at least it seems a step in the right direction.
Click here for the full list of what Tony thinks are the best railway station pubs around the country.
Do you know of a good railway drinking and dining experience? If so, why not add a comment below to help us all find the more pleasant railway experience.
