There was hardly a street party going on at Bicester North railway station when we arrived on a grey and dank post-rush hour morning, writes GEORGE FREW. Floral baskets hung like damp, dripping colourful tributes. Tears of rain trickled down the blue and red-tipped spears of the railings on platform two.

But despite the miserable weather, the employees of Chiltern Railways, who run Bicester North, have a reason to be cheerful and a cause to celebrate - for they have just been voted the most passenger-friendly small station in the country.

Anyone who travelled on a train in The Bad Old Days will recall surly staff who answered in grunts when they bothered to answer at all. So news that attempts to be friendly and helpful are being recognised with awards will no doubt be welcomed by Bicester North's 240-odd daily commuters who stick their vehicles in Bicester North car park and catch the train to work each day.

Car park attendant Malcolm Pink, 64, said: "It's good news. The staff are all friendly here and I think people respond to that. I make a point of speaking to everyone each morning - it helps get the day off to a nice start." This sort of blithe spirit pervades Bicester North to such an extent that you expect Julie Andrews and the cast of The Sound of Music to come skipping on to the platform at any minute, warbling Edelweiss.

In the aptly-named station Tuckshop, Saeed Ahmad has been busy spreading his own brand of bonhomie among his commuting customers for the past 18 years.

"It's not surprising the station has won an award," he said. "This has always been a popular place. We are here every morning at 5.45am to serve the people catching the first train at six, and We always try to be friendly - even that early."

So much so, in fact, that Saeed's assistant, Ann Brittain, keeps leaving only to return. "I've worked here for four years, on and off," she revealed. "I keep coming back because it's so friendly."

And do the passengers appreciate this? "Most do and are very pleasant. We just don't take any notice of those that aren't."

Chris Dunbabin is a 15-year-old student at North Oxfordshire College. "Usually, the staff here are helpful and cheerful. This is a small but pleasant station," he said. Chiltern Railways managing director Adrian Shooter broke off from collecting the award from comedienne Sandi Toksvig at - where else - the National Railway Museum to observe: "I am delighted to see that Bicester North has won this prestigious award and would like to congratulate the team who work so well together. Customer care is very much at the heart of Chiltern Railway's philosophy and the team at this station have worked particularly hard to offer the very best travelling experience to passengers."

You might think: "Yes, well, he would say that, wouldn't he?" but which would you, the fare-paying passenger, prefer? The ill-mannered morons of yore whose total lack of interest, let alone communication skills, could easily condemn you to a trip to Inverness when you really wanted to go to Bognor Regis, or the nice, friendly folk at Bicester North who have made a name for themselves for being quick, pally and efficient?

One businessman travelling yesterday was able to compare the award-winner with one of Chiltern Railways' other stations. Paul Riley had been forced to drive to Bicester to catch his train there because of some problems at Banbury Station.

"This is the first time that I've used this station, so I haven't really spoken to anyone and couldn't say if they deserve the award or not," he admitted. "But the staff were not at all helpful at Banbury, so no matter what the people are like here, they've got to be an improvement on them."

By one of those cruel quirks of fate, Banbury Station is also run by - you've guessed it - Chiltern Railways.

Ah well. At least Bicester North has proved that in some places, The Bad Old Days have been banished and things are on the right track. . .

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.