Best train station awards 2010

patrickc

Killarney won best station


http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=655&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

KILLARNEY IS IRELAND’S BEST STATION!

Tourist town comes out tops as winners chosen directly by customers for first time

Major awards also for Claremorris, Sutton, Kilkenny, Hazelhatch and Mallow

Community involvement award for Birdhill

Killarney has been named Overall Best Train Station in Ireland for 2010, at the 15th annual Iarnród Éireann Best Station Awards, which took place today at Iarnród Éireann’s Inchicore Engineering Works.
The station, which plays a key role in the life of the Co Kerry tourist town, became the first overall winner to be chosen directly by customers. This year’s Best Station Awards for the first time saw customers rating the country’s 140 stations by text and website. Dick Fearn, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann said “winning the title of Best Station in Ireland has always been a major achievement for our stations. However, to gain that endorsement from our customers, who rightly expect ever-improving standards of customer care and station appearance, is an even higher honour, and we congratulate Killarney for winning this year.”
It was a proud Station Manager for Killarney and Tralee, Noel Meaney, who collected the award on behalf of Killarney, along with colleagues Padraig O'Donoghue & Maurice Moynihan. It was also a fitting tribute to the career of recently retired Station Manager Killarney Michael Leahy, who also joined with his former colleagues to collect the award. Michael, who retired in December, was at the helm in Killarney during the public voting period. An instantly recognisable face to the thousands who pass through the station week in week out, Michael and his team received high scores across the categories of:
- Customer information
- Staff helpfulness
- Station appearance
- Staff appearance
The magnificent crystal locomotive trophy was presented to Noel, Michael and their team, which will adorn Killarney Station throughout 2010.
Regional winners
Killarney also collected the title of Best Munster Station, beating off competition from Cork and Charleville Stations.
In Connacht, Claremorris emerged victorious, with Station Manager Dolores Keaveney leading the team to collect the award. Athenry and Sligo Stations were highly commended in the West.
Leinster saw Kilkenny emulate their hurling dominance, courtesy of Station Manager John Delaney and team. Arklow and Connolly Stations were highly commended by customers.
The Best DART station for 2010 was Sutton Station, beating Killiney and Killester. Donal Burton and Stephen Donnelly collected the award for Sutton.
Hazelhatch, recent winner of a UK and Ireland Heritage Award for the incorporation of the historic station building into customer facilities at the new expanded station, was named Best Commuter Station, ending the incredible 12-year dominance of highly commended Skerries Station, and also pipping Docklands Station to the award. Gerry Dalton collected the award for Hazelhatch.
Special awards
In addition to regional winners, two special awards were presented at today’s ceremony.
Mallow collected the special crystal steam locomotive trophy for Best Customer Service. As a key interchange between the Cork and Kerry lines, a special staff effort is required at Mallow to ensure customer care of the highest standards. Customers recognised this in the text and web voting, giving top marks to Mallow for customer service. Station Manager Pat O’Sullivan received the award for his team in Mallow.
Birdhill Station on the Limerick-Ballybrophy line collected this year’s Community Involvement Award, for the strong partnership that exists between station staff and the local community in ensuring the Co Tipperary town’s station is kept in pristine condition year-round. Nicholas Moroney, Station Manager for Thurles and Birdhill, along with station staff John Fahy and Michael Ryan, and community representatives received the award.
Joining in the celebrations were champion jockey Johnny Murtagh, a guest speaker at the event, and a man who knows a thing or two about the highest standards needed.
A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann said “we are delighted with the success of inviting our customers to rate stations for these awards. Almost 2,000 customers participated, and we will look to expand this still further for future awards. By encouraging keen competition between stations, we can raise the standards of customer care at all stations for the benefit of everyone who travels with us.”
ROLL OF HONOUR
Overall Best Station – Killarney

Best Munster Station – Killarney
Highly Commended – Cork & Charleville

Best Connacht Station – Claremorris
Highly Commended – Athenry & Sligo

Best Leinster Station – Kilkenny
Highly Commended – Arklow & Connolly

Best DART Station – Sutton
Highly Commended – Killester & Killiney

Best Commuter Station – Hazelhatch
Highly Commended – Skerries & Docklands

Best Customer Service – Mallow

Community Involvement – Birdhill

Run_to_da_hills

Whats the prize for this?

Judgement Day

It was rigged - what happened to all the votes for Broombridge that were sent in? I know over on the Rail Users Ireland site a lot of us fought to get Broombridge the recognition it deserves.

As an aside I've just noticed even the official IE press release refers to the Awards as for the Best Train Station.......to me its like finger nails being scraped down a blackboard or being served Guinness in a lager glass....the correct terminology is a Railway station!

Atlantic Dawn

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Whats the prize for this?

They get a small trophey and I assume a nice few scoops on a night out for the lads/ladies working their.

Cookie_Monster

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Whats the prize for this?

a plaque on the wall

highlydebased

Fair play to Killarney- they deserve it.

Cookie_Monster

I thought it said Killiney first of all and was all ready to go on a big rant about how there wass no way that was justified

JHMEG

Best commuter station is Hazelhatch? WTF?

Two platforms in a field. You can't even buy a newspaper or a cup of coffee.

foggy_lad

they should do best station toilets, heuston would surely win after giving the competition the runs, such a difference between the toilets at heuston and connolly.

JHMEG

Hazelhatch also won another award, ironically:

The ten worst stations to wait for a train

Judgement Day

JHMEG wrote: »

Hazelhatch also won another award, ironically:

The ten worst stations to wait for a train

Excellent post - I take it that competition wasn't sponsored by CIE.

Sponge Bob

Judgement Day wrote: »

It was rigged - what happened to all the votes for Broombridge that were sent in? I know over on the Rail Users Ireland site a lot of us fought to get Broombridge the recognition it deserves.

I voted for Broombridge too, the whole thing is OBVIOUSLY a fix

Sponge Bob

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I voted for Broombridge too, the whole thing is OBVIOUSLY a fix

Considering the probable amount of voters, I'm surprised your two votes didn't influence the outcome alright!

FlameoftheWest

What is the point of this silly award really?

Does it generate more commuters? Does it provide a meaningful service to the community?

Nah, it has nice flowers and a few painted old milk churns of course...

CIE QED.

KC61

In fairness the company that I work for has an annual awards night - it fosters pride in people's jobs so that they might go that bit further.

Cookie_Monster

FlameoftheWest wrote: »

What is the point of this silly award really?

Does it generate more commuters? Does it provide a meaningful service to the community?

Nah, it has nice flowers and a few painted old milk churns of course...

CIE QED.

Its about trying to maintain station standards. If staff know there's a possibility of reward they will work harder towards a goal thats a proven fact across the world.
Customers benefits from cleaner better kept stations free from graffiti and damage (generally)

Zebra3

Judgement Day wrote: »

It was rigged - what happened to all the votes for Broombridge that were sent in? I know over on the Rail Users Ireland site a lot of us fought to get Broombridge the recognition it deserves.

As an aside I've just noticed even the official IE press release refers to the Awards as for the Best Train Station.......to me its like finger nails being scraped down a blackboard or being served Guinness in a lager glass....the correct terminology is a Railway station!

I can onlyassume even Irish Rail wouldn't have the balls to refer to the what's in Broombridge as a train station.

Judgement Day

In fairness, station staff have little to do these days apart from hiding from managers, and I'm sure they enjoy the fresh air while gardening.

FlameoftheWest

Judgement Day wrote: »

In fairness, station staff have little to do these days apart from hiding from managers, and I'm sure they enjoy the fresh air while gardening.

Moate Station up until the 1980's was a regular winner of the best station award.

Look at it now:

http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/M/Moate/slides/Moate%20station_2.html

No passengers, no freight, no pride and no vision.

That's CIE "pride" for ya.