Which railway lines are the least used in this country?

[Anetos]

There are lists of the least used stations (currently Denton in Lancashire a town of 36.5k - why?) but I couldn't find one on the actual lines themselves, I'm not necessarily saying that any should be closed but which are the least profitable

 

[sh24]

Least profitable? More like highest loss making...

 

[zwk500]

Least Used and Least Profitable are not necessarily exactly correlative, but I suspect the total passenger numbers on the Brigg, Far North, West Highland and Heart of Wales lines will take some beating.

 

[The exile]

There must surely be various mothballed freight lines that haven’t seen a train in years but are still officially open.

 

[The Planner]

There must surely be various mothballed freight lines that haven’t seen a train in years but are still officially open.

Depends if they are stated as Out Of Use in the sectional appendix. If they do show as OOU, then you aren't getting a train down most of them.

 

[NSE]

An interesting question, but I think it’ll depend on the mark you’re measuring with. Something like the Far North Main Line will always have a very low number of physical trains per day, but each one would be relatively well used. Other lines could be the opposite, maybe like the Romford - Upminster branch in London, which is half hourly all day long, but each train will have plenty of empty seats. So the percentage of seats filled out of the daily amount offered may be higher on something like the Scottish Branch Lines, but Romford - Upminster blows it away in terms of service frequency.

Ultimately the passenger line winner would probably be something like the Stockport - Stalybridge line, with its weekly one way service.

 

[stadler]

Dorking to Horsham has to be a very strong contender. That line is always extremely quiet. I have had at least ten occasions now over the years where i have had the entire train to myself for the whole journey. There is rarely more than ten people onboard. You might get twenty maximum on some rare occassions. Even during peak times i have had extremely quiet trains with just a couple others onboard. So even the peak trains are quiet. I use this line regularly and i think it has to be a contender for the least used line in the country. It has always baffled me why it gets such poor usage considering it gets an hourly service and links two major towns.

 

[lyndhurst25]

For through freight-only routes, I was going to suggest the Grimsby to Immingham single line (which actually has some traffic today!) and the Worksop to Doncaster South Yorkshire Joint Line.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Immingham East Jn. all day on 09/06/2025

Train information at Immingham East Jn. all day on 09/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | Departures from Maltby Colliery S B all day on 09/06/2025

Train information at Maltby Colliery S B all day on 09/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Both lines have signal boxes that have to be staffed to allow trains to pass, and I assume that this is done on an as required basis?

I believe that Grimsby to Immingham has been retained for use as a diversionary route if the main line into Immingham port is unavailable. And isn’t it also used to turn the British Steel iron ore wagons to even out wheel wear?

The SY Joint Line has timetabled trains to Goole Glassworks and an engineer’s working from Wellingborough, but I’ve never seen them run. Perhaps there is the hope that freight from Doncaster iPort will one day be sent that way? Other than that there just seems to be the occasional ad hoc light engine or stock move.

 

[Geeves]

The Denton line is actually a very busy stretch of railway it's just powers that be don't run a service that will ever carry any passengers. Then of course it then becomes a big old joke that the line has a "ghost train".

I am 100 percent certain that if you ran an hourly train from Stalybridge to Stockport the passenger numbers would "mysteriously" go up!!

As others have said there's still a good few freight lines that these days see little to no trains at all. Beyond Alloa springs to mind

 

[6Gman]

Depends if they are stated as Out Of Use in the sectional appendix. If they do show as OOU, then you aren't getting a train down most of them.

I used to plan weedkillers and the like in Railtrack days to some very obscure locations.

Railtrack would ask for a train to A, B and C.

We would then ring the nearest traincrew depot to check route knowledge and if what Railtrack wanted was physically possible.

Sometimes it wasn't.

I recall one conversation with Saltley after a request to use a particular colliery branch.

"Do you have anyone who knows the xxxx branch?"
"Why?"
"Railtrack want to run the weedkiller up there next week."
"Well, one of our Traction Inspectors would have the route knowledge but ..."
"Is there a problem?"
"Well, only that the track's been lifted and the bridges demolished."

Railtrack's grasp of what they had wasn't always spot on.

 

[Bertie the bus]

I am 100 percent certain that if you ran an hourly train from Stalybridge to Stockport the passenger numbers would "mysteriously" go up!!

Not by much as it would be a completely pointless service that I thought nobody was calling for these days but an hourly service from Stockport - Vic instead.

 

[The exile]

Least Used and Least Profitable are not necessarily exactly correlative, but I suspect the total passenger numbers on the Brigg, Far North, West Highland and Heart of Wales lines will take some beating.

Least profitable (or rather most loss-making) will be a product not only of little use but also expensive infrastructure and running costs - so a combination of as many of these is the nightmare scenario: manual signalling and/ or level crossings viaducts / bridges (even better if of the swing or lifting variety) tunnels, unstable ground, grade one listed stations….
In other words just the sort of line I could spend my entire life on!!!!!

 

[godfreycomplex]

It has always baffled me why it gets such poor usage considering it gets an hourly service and links two major towns.

Being in different counties there’s very little school/college traffic. Plus there’s very little in Horsham that you can’t get in Dorking, and vice versa

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not by much as it would be a completely pointless service that I thought nobody was calling for these days but an hourly service from Stockport - Vic instead.

A half hourly service from Stockport to Victoria via Denton would actually be useful now Victoria is a long distance station once more, but couldn't easily be pathed until HS2 2B, which is due just about never at the moment.

 

[Tetragon213]

The Ludgershall Branch near Andover must surely be a contender, unless it's been taken out of service?

 

[Iskra]

An interesting question, but I think it’ll depend on the mark you’re measuring with. Something like the Far North Main Line will always have a very low number of physical trains per day, but each one would be relatively well used. Other lines could be the opposite, maybe like the Romford - Upminster branch in London, which is half hourly all day long, but each train will have plenty of empty seats. So the percentage of seats filled out of the daily amount offered may be higher on something like the Scottish Branch Lines, but Romford - Upminster blows it away in terms of service frequency.

Ultimately the passenger line winner would probably be something like the Stockport - Stalybridge line, with its weekly one way service.

My experience of the Far North is that it’s empty and a complete waste of time North of Dingwall. I was only 1 of 3 passengers until Dingwall on my return from Wick. Obviously, it’s got its defenders on here but it’s incredibly wasteful. However, if the Scottish government is happy to fund it then that’s all that matters really.

 

[Howardh]

Morecambe to Heysham only has c.12k pax/year https://railstats.co.uk/HHB/Heysham_Harbour_station but I suspect the line is very busy with goods, particularly the nuclear power station? If not then the usage is pretty low?

 

[Deepgreen]

Dorking to Horsham has to be a very strong contender. That line is always extremely quiet. I have had at least ten occasions now over the years where i have had the entire train to myself for the whole journey. There is rarely more than ten people onboard. You might get twenty maximum on some rare occassions. Even during peak times i have had extremely quiet trains with just a couple others onboard. So even the peak trains are quiet. I use this line regularly and i think it has to be a contender for the least used line in the country. It has always baffled me why it gets such poor usage considering it gets an hourly service and links two major towns.

I suspect it's poorly-used mainly because it runs through an area of extremely high car ownership. Intermediate stations are virtually halts and the journey from London/Croydon to Horsham is far quicker via Gatwick.

 

[43096]

Not by much as it would be a completely pointless service that I thought nobody was calling for these days but an hourly service from Stockport - Vic instead.

The raison d’être of the service was providing a connection from south of Manchester to North Trans Pennine services when they all ran through Victoria. With some TPE services now running through Victoria again it is potentially of more use again.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The new 20-mile Bletchley-Bicester line must be a very poor performer at the moment, with no revenue-earning trains 8 months after it was declared open for traffic.
Some Chiltern ECS and light loco workings are evident today, presumably road-learning trains.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...25-06-09/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

With signalling from Rugby, operating costs will at least be low.

 

[zwk500]

Bletchley-Bicester must be a very poor performer at the moment, with no revenue-earning trains 8 months after it was declared open for traffic.
Some Chiltern ECS and light loco workings are evident today, presumably road-learning trains.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...25-06-09/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

With signalling from Rugby, operating costs will at least be low.

Also very low wear and tear so maintenance costs are minimal.

 

[The exile]

Also very low wear and tear so maintenance costs are minimal.

Not only low wear and tear but all brand new so nothing should need anything more than minimal attention….

 

[NSE]

My experience of the Far North is that it’s empty and a complete waste of time North of Dingwall. I was only of 3 passengers until Dingwall on my return from Wick. Obviously, it’s got its defenders on here but it’s incredibly wasteful. However, if the Scottish government is happy to fund it then that’s all that matters really.

Ah, it was an ‘educated guess’ to think of a rural line that has a small amount of daily trains, but ones that might be well filled. I’ve never done the full route. As if to prove your point, I’ve only gone as far as Dingwall .

 

[dk1]

My experience of the Far North is that it’s empty and a complete waste of time North of Dingwall. I was only of 3 passengers until Dingwall on my return from Wick. Obviously, it’s got its defenders on here but it’s incredibly wasteful. However, if the Scottish government is happy to fund it then that’s all that matters really.

Oh and it’s such a dull journey. Trolley catering on it too last time I used it. Wouldnt rush to do it again but wonderful it operates and will continue to do so.

 

[321362]

The new 20-mile Bletchley-Bicester line must be a very poor performer at the moment, with no revenue-earning trains 8 months after it was declared open for traffic.
Some Chiltern ECS and light loco workings are evident today, presumably road-learning trains.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...25-06-09/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

With signalling from Rugby, operating costs will at least be low.

1Q46 seems to be doing a bit of time travelling, randomly switching from 180L to 20E esp. around Loughborough!

Wonder what causes RTT (and/or internal systems) to misrepresent it like this. Or has it done an extremely roundabout route, calling at some places before others?

Realtime Trains | 1Q46 0742 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Rugby Depot Access Line | 09/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 1Q46 0742 departure from Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Rugby Depot Access Line on 09/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Iskra]

Morecambe to Heysham only has c.12k pax/year https://railstats.co.uk/HHB/Heysham_Harbour_station but I suspect the line is very busy with goods, particularly the nuclear power station? If not then the usage is pretty low?

That’s not bad for only 1tpd each way though.

If an intermediate halt were provided convenient for the adjacent housing along the line and a reasonable service provided, it could do pretty well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jun 2025 ==

Oh and it’s such a dull journey. Trolley catering on it too last time I used it. Wouldnt rush to do it again but wonderful it operates and will continue to do so.

I actually appreciated the barren beauty of the area, but it’s a lot of railway for so few passengers.

 

[dk1]

I actually appreciated the barren beauty of the area, but it’s a lot of railway for so few passengers.

I don’t mint the lack of patronage. That’s just the quirky nature of such routes.

 

[SuspectUsual]

I used to plan weedkillers and the like in Railtrack days to some very obscure locations.

Railtrack would ask for a train to A, B and C.

We would then ring the nearest traincrew depot to check route knowledge and if what Railtrack wanted was physically possible.

Sometimes it wasn't.

I recall one conversation with Saltley after a request to use a particular colliery branch.

"Do you have anyone who knows the xxxx branch?"
"Why?"
"Railtrack want to run the weedkiller up there next week."
"Well, one of our Traction Inspectors would have the route knowledge but ..."
"Is there a problem?"
"Well, only that the track's been lifted and the bridges demolished."

Railtrack's grasp of what they had wasn't always spot on.

In their glory days the mere absence of track and bridges wouldn't have deterred the hardcore Saltley men

 

[ChrisC]

Oh and it’s such a dull journey. Trolley catering on it too last time I used it. Wouldnt rush to do it again but wonderful it operates and will continue to do so.

We all see things differently but on the two occasions I have travelled on the Far North Line I have seen it as far from dull. It might not have the scenery of the Kyle of Lochalsh line or the West Highland Line but I thought it has some wonderful varied scenery. Too much off the subject of this thread to list all the highlights but I thought some of the barren landscape north of Helmsdale over the Caithness Flow Country was quite spectacular. I did see it all on a clear sunny day.

 

[Horizon22]

1Q46 seems to be doing a bit of time travelling, randomly switching from 180L to 20E esp. around Loughborough!

Wonder what causes RTT (and/or internal systems) to misrepresent it like this. Or has it done an extremely roundabout route, calling at some places before others?

Realtime Trains | 1Q46 0742 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Rugby Depot Access Line | 09/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 1Q46 0742 departure from Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Rugby Depot Access Line on 09/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Duplicate timing points can mess this up. If it’s doing a circular route it might pick up the “later” time of the same stop hours later if it goes from late to early.