TRIVIA/OPINION - Which is the dullest stretch of railway in the British Isles?

[B&I]

I find that stretch along the Stour interesting. Certainly not scenic, but interesting. There's a lot of old industrial railway and canal history around there. The derelict buildings and brutalist motorway flyovers add to the intrigue. And no, I'm not taking the p***!

Seconded. The view is even more interesting from the canal towpath between Brum city centre and West Bromwich.

 

[B&I]

It's all a question of taste, but in the right light / at the right time of day the lines across the flatlands down the eastern side of England can be quite interesting, because of the openness and desolation. Coming from King's Lynn to London around sunset a few Januaries ago was quite spectacular in its own way.

The lines I have found dreariest are across undramatic countryside and through fairly ordinary towns (from a railway eye view at least) in the south. The SWML, and GWML (at least, east of Dicot) spring to mind. However, perhaps I just wasn't on the lookout for the right things.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The lines I have found dreariest are across undramatic countryside and through fairly ordinary towns (from a railway eye view at least) in the south. The SWML, and GWML (at least, east of Dicot) spring to mind. However, perhaps I just wasn't on the lookout for the right things.

The SWML through the New Forest is one of my favourite stretches of line. It's just nice, scenery wise. And you get to enjoy it from a good piece of rolling stock (the Class 444). Further east it is a bit drab, though.

 

[kevconnor]

I would have nominated the Sheffield to Meadowhell of the early naughties when the Don Valley was still much of a barron industrial wasteland but it has cleaned itself up a bit more now. Alternatively I'd go for Stockport to Altrincham for the lack of anything of any note to see on the route.

 

[Clayton]

I really like the new Oxford-Marylebone line, very verdant and charming through the Chilterns and also a rather upmarket kind of passenger!

 

[Francis]

Whether or not you find a line interesting depends what you are looking out for: just good scenery, or station buildings, or signal boxes, or locos, or even mileposts and gradient posts!
Anyone interested in railway history will want to spot where now closed lines diverged or converged or crossed, and to spot the site of disused or now vanished stations.
Taking track diagrams and Ordnance Survey maps with you can add plenty of interest to a journey.

 

[306024]

Whether or not you find a line interesting depends what you are looking out for: just good scenery, or station buildings, or signal boxes, or locos, or even mileposts and gradient posts!
Anyone interested in railway history will want to spot where now closed lines diverged or converged or crossed, and to spot the site of disused or now vanished stations.
Taking track diagrams and Ordnance Survey maps with you can add plenty of interest to a journey.

Absolutely right. Always amuses me when people say Ely - Peterborough is dull - one of my favourite routes. No route is dull if you enjoy riding around looking out of the window, just that some are less interesting than others.

 

[Bucephalus]

None of them, because I'm a proper railway fan!

This thread made me realise I've not been on near enough railways. I would say that hackney downs to Liverpool street was not exactly a turn on

 

[gnolife]

Manchester Piccadilly to Woodley, Reddish North and Hattersley are pretty uninspiring
Someone earlier mentioned the Cathcart Circle lines, and I'd agree, making an exception for the Neilston branch south of Whitecraigs.
The Maryhill line is uninspiring as well

 

[iknowyeah]

Surprised noone has mentioned Salford Crescent to Wigan via Walkden

 

[B&I]

Manchester Piccadilly to Woodley, Reddish North and Hattersley are pretty uninspiring
Someone earlier mentioned the Cathcart Circle lines, and I'd agree, making an exception for the Neilston branch south of Whitecraigs.
The Maryhill line is uninspiring as well

Nice bit of open country round Reddish Vale though

 

[yorksrob]

I quite like a lot of the routes on here. Even the ones that are comparatively 'featureless' such as Selby to Hull, I find the combination of flat landscape - which is a contrast to more hilly climbs, interesting infrastructure - evidence of four tracking, signal boxes (last time I was there anyway), esturine views including the Humber bridge and the urban approach to Hull, very satisfying.

One stretch I find quite boring at the moment is Micklefield to Church Fenton. So so countryside, lack of settlements, lack of the chance of seeing other trains until you get to the quadrouple section and overfamiliarity.

 

[B&I]

The SWML through the New Forest is one of my favourite stretches of line. It's just nice, scenery wise. And you get to enjoy it from a good piece of rolling stock (the Class 444). Further east it is a bit drab, though.

I've never been on the Bournemouth-Southampton stretch, so I should have made clear I was thinking of London to Soton / Portsmouth

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Absolutely right. Always amuses me when people say Ely - Peterborough is dull - one of my favourite routes. No route is dull if you enjoy riding around looking out of the window, just that some are less interesting than others.

Indeed, I love the unique landscape and emptiness of the Fenlands, so I am more than happy to watch out over the likes of Ely to Kings Lynn or Peterborough, I find it strangely theraputic.

That said I enjoy most types of countryside, so I am more than happy too with Swindon to Didcot across the Vale of the White Horse, and Leicester to Peterborough through the shockingly underrated Leicestershire countryside.

Worst for me are the suburban slogs through the likes of Hackney, Sutton and the various routes out to Kent - not too bad on a fast service but I can't get into endless 1930s expansion views-wise.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Tottenham to Cheshunt pretty tedious , as is West Ealing - Greenford , and especially the odd working from Paddington towards West Ruislip.

 

[quantinghome]

I think the southern part of the ECML is pretty appealing. On a crisp, bright winter's morning the big skies are quite something.

 

[Vinnym]

Edge Hill to Liverpool Lime Street not only dull but also dark.

 

[gnolife]

Nice bit of open country round Reddish Vale though

I agree with you on that. However, unless Reddish Vale and Reddish North have swapped places, it makes no difference to the section of line I stated. I put my boundaries where I did because beyond each of them you come to very good sections of open country.

 

[37047]

Indeed, I love the unique landscape and emptiness of the Fenlands, so I am more than happy to watch out over the likes of Ely to Kings Lynn or Peterborough, I find it strangely theraputic.

That said I enjoy most types of countryside, so I am more than happy too with Swindon to Didcot across the Vale of the White Horse, and Leicester to Peterborough through the shockingly underrated Leicestershire countryside.

Worst for me are the suburban slogs through the likes of Hackney, Sutton and the various routes out to Kent - not too bad on a fast service but I can't get into endless 1930s expansion views-wise.

I'd agree with that - King's Lynn to Cambridge North is my daily commute and while a lot of the route can be described as bleak, empty and, yes, flat, the beautiful sunrises on cold mornings with the mist rising off the Fens more than make up for it. That and the NSE paint job at Downham Market always makes me smile.

 

[mlambeuk]

I find York to Leeds via Micklefield quite boring.
Scarborough to Malton is quite bland too.

 

[driver_m]

Edge Hill to Liverpool Lime Street not only dull but also dark.

Haha, you.need to come and sit with me at the front. It's F****in awesome if you pardon my language ..

 

[Vinnym]

Haha, you.need to come and sit with me at the front. It's F****in awesome if you pardon my language ..

I will take your word for it. However I stand by my original post as a passenger.

 

[g22]

That said I enjoy most types of countryside, so I am more than happy too with Swindon to Didcot across the Vale of the White Horse, and Leicester to Peterborough through the shockingly underrated Leicestershire countryside.

 

[fairysdad]

Very short section... the SWML between Earlsfield and Clapham Junction. Steep cutting all the way, during the morning peak you're crawling through there while the driver chases yellows, and the Up Fast seems to be pushed aside, added almost like an afterthought. I guess the flyover at Wimbledon is a newer addition - 30s? - which meant this was originally built as the Up Slow which would explain its appearance, but it's still a really dull and dreary stretch of track.

 

[Calthrop]

I find interest and enjoyment in pretty well all main-line journeys. For me, dullest now-running branch line ever travelled on has to be Witham -- Braintree: lacklustre verging-on-commuter-belt countryside, low-lying but not "fun flat" in the way that -- in my opinion and that of a number of posters to this thread -- the fenlands are. Of branches now closed, on which I've travelled: Yatton -- Clevedon ranks for me as equally dull.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Haha, you.need to come and sit with me at the front. It's F****in awesome if you pardon my language ..

In the days of LHCS I used to enjoy going through there by an open droplight window. Quite atmospheric. I can see why a driver thinks that.

 

[Ianno87]

I'd agree with that - King's Lynn to Cambridge North is my daily commute and while a lot of the route can be described as bleak, empty and, yes, flat, the beautiful sunrises on cold mornings with the mist rising off the Fens more than make up for it. That and the NSE paint job at Downham Market always makes me smile.

The Fen Line is *superb* on a crisp morning, or during a summer sunset.

 

[Scouseinmanc]

Haha, you.need to come and sit with me at the front. It's F****in awesome if you pardon my language ..

I very recently saw a driver cab video from Mcr Vic - Lime Street & that particular section is indeed fantastic.
The deep cuttings, tunnels & bridges are an astounding example of engineering.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Very short section... the SWML between Earlsfield and Clapham Junction. Steep cutting all the way, during the morning peak you're crawling through there while the driver chases yellows, and the Up Fast seems to be pushed aside, added almost like an afterthought. I guess the flyover at Wimbledon is a newer addition - 30s? - which meant this was originally built as the Up Slow which would explain its appearance, but it's still a really dull and dreary stretch of track.

I really like that section, the flyover giving great panoramic views over the rooftops... admittedly it was always more fun in a slammer than a 455 though!

Now that Healey Mills is a shadow of its former self, Huddersfield to Wakefield isn't great. But then it was always a bit rubbish towards Huddersfield as the line skirted the southern edge of the yard. Again though, familiarity breeds contempt...

 

[xotGD]

Leeds to Bradford Interchange. Enough to make you feel like topping yourself.