Banbury railway station has been chosen as a finalist in the national 2002 Station of the Year competition.

Major renovation work and consultation with passengers -- making the station one of the best in the country -- has paid off for station staff and railway companies Chiltern and Railtrack.

Chiltern Railways' station manager Sandra Harper was presented with a certificate by Hugh Jones, local representative of the Rail Passengers Committee.

Mr Jones, of Banbury, said: "Banbury station is now much better than it ever was.

"The one thing that continues to pull the overall rating of the station down is the failure to modernise the lifts for passengers with buggies and wheelchairs."

But Mrs Harper said improvements to the lifts were planned next year.

She said: "I'm delighted that we're finalists.

"It's all down to the hard work of the staff. They really deserve this award."

The annual competition, held by the Strategic Rail Authority and regional rail passengers committee, was judged by Richard Bowker, chairman of the SRA and Nigel Harris, editor of Rail magazine.