The wait for a train may seem shorter at award-winning station

IF YOU’RE waiting for a train, the station at Skerries is the best place to be.

Yesterday, Skerries was awarded the accolade for best overall station at the 15th annual Waterford Crystal-sponsored Iarnród Éireann Best Station Awards.

Halt keeper, Nicholas Martin and station manager for the area, Kevin Connolly accepted the award, a magnificent Waterford Crystal sculpture of an Iarnród Éireann locomotive.

Customer facilities, cleanliness, innovation and customer service in the country’s 135 railway stations were judged.

Skerries also won the best suburban halt category.

In other categories, Mallow Station collected the hotly contested heritage award, a title awarded to the station for its work in restoring a steam crane, a turntable and a water column, which were found during the development of a new car parking area.

Station manager Pat O’Sullivan and Tim O’Brien were presented with a Waterford Crystal replica of the locomotive Maedhbh for the heritage project.

Mary Linehan at Mallow was awarded for floral display at the station.

Greystones was the winner of the best DART station and Joe Gunning accepting the award for the “well maintained and welcoming station”.

Wicklow was awarded an innovation award for their use of sponsorship to provide customer seating.

Speaking at the awards, Iarnród Éireann chief executive Dick Fearn congratulated Skerries Station for its overall win, saying: “It’s fitting that after so many years of excellence, Skerries are the overall winners once again.”