Paris, October 2025 – The UIC, through its Station Managers Global Group (SMGG), is proud to announce the launch of the inaugural Railway Stations Awards 2025, designed to recognise and celebrate excellence in railway station management worldwide.
The SMGG, which fosters innovation and knowledge exchange among station managers globally, has established the Awards to highlight exemplary initiatives that transform stations into sustainable, digitalised and high-value assets for customers and cities.
Four categories of excellence
The Awards feature four key categories, each reflecting the critical dimensions of modern station management:
- Station & Urban Design – resilience, climate change adaptation and sustainable construction
- Facility Management & Operation – safety, security, crowd management and event preparedness
- Retail & Commercial Affairs – customer experience and innovative retail strategies
- Small Stations – effective management, community engagement and sustainable development of small stations
The finalists in each category represent leading-edge projects from across the globe.
Finalists of the Railway Stations Awards 2025
Station & Urban Design
- Guangzhou South Railway Station – China Railways, China
- DB Rad+ – DB, Germany
- Varberg – Jernhusen, Sweden
- Takanawa Gateway Station – JR East, Japan
- Driebergen-Zeist Train Station – ProRail, Netherlands
- Bioclimatic Atlas of Major Paris Train Stations – AREP, France
Facility Management & Operation
- Next-Generation CCTV Cameras – ADIF, Spain
- Improving Safety & Security – DSB, Denmark
- AI-Robot – Korail, South Korea
- Dutch Grand Prix Zandvoort – NS, Netherlands
Retail & Commercial Affairs
- Connected Stations – ADIF, Spain
- Vialia Vigo – ADIF, Spain
- Liverpool Street Station – Network Rail, United Kingdom
- Commercial Attractivity Index (idAC) – RFI, Italy
- Place de la Gare – SNCF Retail & Connexions, France
Small Stations
- Station’s Neural Centre – ADIF, Spain
- Svenska Reseterminaler – Jernhusen, Sweden
- Station Communities – NS, Netherlands
- Atlas of Slow Mobility in Italy – RFI, Italy
- Prioritization of Passenger Station Buildings – SZCZ, Czech Republic
Why these awards matter
The Railway Stations Awards 2025 serve three main objectives:
- Foster collaboration among station operators, creating opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange.
- Acknowledge outstanding practices among UIC members, showcasing innovation and leadership.
- Promote SMGG initiatives under the framework of the UIC Vision 2030, advancing sustainable and customer-focused railway stations worldwide.
Shortlisted projects will gain international recognition, visibility across UIC’s global network and a spotlight at the Global Passenger Forum held at the UIC headquarters, Paris.
Selection process and jury
Entries underwent a two-stage evaluation, including online submissions and live pitches before an international jury of experts. The jury brings expertise from across urban planning, transport policy, architecture, mobility, psychology and data analytics.
Notable jury members include:
- Takamasa Suzuki (RTRI, Japan) – specialist in flow analysis and optimisation
- Alice Lunardon (BABLE Smart Cities, Italy) – advocate for sustainable, transit-oriented urban development
- Lottie Stainer (UITP, Belgium) – researcher in inclusive public transport and urban design
- Bertrand Minary (UIC, France) – Passenger Director, UIC
- Vanessa Perez (UIC, France) – Senior Advisor, UIC Passenger Department
- Spyros N. Koulouris (Technical University of Munich, Germany) – urban designer and researcher on sustainable transitions
- Nacima Baron (Gustave Eiffel University, France) – Professor of Geography and urban planning expert
- Stefanie Ruf (TU Munich, Germany) – researcher on mobility psychology and sustainable urban design
- Laura Petersen (UIC, France) – Senior Advisor in Security
Awards ceremony
The winners of the Railway Stations Awards 2025 will be revealed at a special ceremony held at the UIC headquarters in Paris on 16 October 2025, moderated by Fabrice Morenon, SMGG Chair, and Paul Van Doninck, SMGG Vice-Chair.
The event will mark a milestone in recognising how railway stations – large and small – are shaping the future of sustainable mobility, connecting cities and enriching passenger experience.
About the Station Managers Global Group (SMGG)
The Station Managers Global Group (SMGG) is a UIC working body dedicated to advancing railway station development. Acting as an incubator for projects, SMGG supports innovation through best practice exchanges, studies and events, ensuring that stations evolve as sustainable, digital and customer-oriented hubs for the cities of tomorrow.
For more information about the Railway Stations Awards 2025, please visit: https://uic.org/event/railway-station-award-2025/
