YORK railway station has entered the first ever 'World Cup of Stations' - and is in the running to be crowned Britain’s best railway hub.

A three-round Twitter tournament to decide Britain’s favourite railway station kicked-off on Thursday.

The online poll gives the public a chance to have their say on which stations deserve to enter the pantheon of world-class transport hubs, by examining how they compare on architecture, impact on the community, and the experience for people using the station, including shops, restaurants and the general vibe.

The tournament is on the Twitter page of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail industry.

The first round for York is the regional group stage, running from Thursday to Sunday, which will see the four busiest stations in 11 regions across the country battle it out for local bragging rights.

Monday’s semi-final will then whittle the field down to a final four, with the winner on Tuesday crowned the nation’s favourite station.

York station’s first challenge is the Yorkshire and Humber pot and will be battling it out against Leeds, Sheffield and Huddersfield stations.

Paul Whiting, head of marketing and communications at Make it York, said: “York’s railway station is an important hub for both residents and visitors - with around a third of all visitors to the city arriving by train and still growing.

"This new initiative is a great way to acknowledge the crucial place the station has in our local community and we are delighted that York is in the running for this national accolade.”

A spokesman for LNER said it will be supporting the competition on its Twitter feed.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, deputy leader of City of York Council, said: “It’s great to see York railway station recognised for its continuing role as a world-class transport hub and vital contributor to our visitor economy. We not only have a strong rail heritage which attracts millions of visitors every year but also a strong and growing rail industry at a key location on the national network.

"As the first city centre commercial railway station, we work to protect its heritage and continue to improve its accessibility and support people to get around sustainably.”

Robert Nisbet, director of nations and regions for the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Stations Day is about celebrating stations, their cherished role in the community and the huge investment that has gone into station improvements across the country.”

To cast a vote, please visit https://twitter.com/RailDeliveryGrp.