Via Shotts and Via Bathgate are quite scenic i think .
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TRIVIA/OPINION - Which is the dullest stretch of railway in the British Isles?
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Via Shotts and Via Bathgate are quite scenic i think .
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A lot of the East Midlands - I've just finished a 4-in-8 Day Rover, and a lot of it around Worksop and Retford is just flat fields.
Not done much of the East Midlands but did find Doncaster to Peterborough via Lincoln fairly dull
cactustwirly
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I find the first half (Reading - Westbury) quite interesting, better than Didcot - Swindon.
But the other half, Westbury - Taunton is a long drag!
cactustwirly
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I'd nominate, the whole Birmingham - Peterborough line, especially the Leicester - Stamford section!
deltic
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Birmingham to Wolverhampton although I have not done it for a few decades - seemed to be derelict canals and warehouses
All the stuff on the eastern side of the island that runs through land that used to be too soft to walk on.
Dullest journey I've ever done was York to Cambridge. All that tedious nothing down to Peterborough and then even more tedious eternal wasteland of empty flatness going on to Cambridge made even worse by the trundling reluctance of the train to get a wiggle on. It was arguably less dull going back again in the dark.
Selby to Hull was only any better because it's shorter. Endless dead straight stretches of featureless flatness with manky dull brown track that looked like it hadn't been touched since the 1940s, jointed of course, and in a flipping Pacer just to put the tin lid on it. donk. donk. donk. donk. donk. donk. donk. donk.
Dullest journey I've ever done was York to Cambridge. All that tedious nothing down to Peterborough and then even more tedious eternal wasteland of empty flatness going on to Cambridge made even worse by the trundling reluctance of the train to get a wiggle on. It was arguably less dull going back again in the dark.
Selby to Hull was only any better because it's shorter. Endless dead straight stretches of featureless flatness with manky dull brown track that looked like it hadn't been touched since the 1940s, jointed of course, and in a flipping Pacer just to put the tin lid on it. donk. donk. donk. donk. donk. donk. donk. donk.
Harbornite
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Settle to Carlisle
trash80
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The Cross City Line, especially the Northern bit after you pass under the Gravelly Hill Interchange.
The northern end is, once you get past Langwathby, but the rest, even on a fairly dull day, is quite spectacular.
I will admit that Ribblehead Viaduct isn't as spectacular as it's lived up to be (at least the view on it - no doubt the viaduct itself is very grand).
70014IronDuke
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Yeah, Derby - Stoke is pretty bland, or used to be on a Cl 120. (it's ok for the first and last couple of miles).
Pilning to Didcot
Darlington - York
I think if you knew the latter two routes before MAS removed all the boxes, loops, mechanical signalling and small stations they would have been more interesting. I didn't experience them in such time.s
70014IronDuke
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The viaduct, from the right spots on the ground and in the right light/weather conditions, can be hauntingly majestic.
PeterY
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Something very atmospheric about the Northern City Line, especially getting off at Old Street.
Lincoln to Peterborough, just seemed to go on and on and on forever.
The only highlight was the curve going into Sleaford.I do need to find a day to get off at Ribblehead - whenever I have attempted to it's been p*ssing it down.
cactustwirly
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Something very atmospheric about the Northern City Line, especially getting off at Old Street.
Lincoln to Peterborough, just seemed to go on and on and on forever.
Agreed!
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***!
Intercity 225
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What an intriguing idea for a thread!
I’m going to choose Dore & Totley-Grindleford considering it’s pretty much wholly underground with the only outside areas being embankments prior to each station.
As soon as you go beyond either station though neither qualifies as they’re both very interesting from those points onwards!
These are both ludicrous suggestions, plenty to see if you have some imagination and curiosity!
I’m going to choose Dore & Totley-Grindleford considering it’s pretty much wholly underground with the only outside areas being embankments prior to each station.
As soon as you go beyond either station though neither qualifies as they’re both very interesting from those points onwards!
These are both ludicrous suggestions, plenty to see if you have some imagination and curiosity!
70014IronDuke
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I think it was 1982, I was driving to Scotland with two friends from Leeds (I think it was), and we went via Ribblehead at my behest. The two friends had no interest in railways whatsoever, and - since it was slow going relative to taking the M18 and A1(M) - I began to get a bit worried they would say it had been a waste of time.
It was summer, probably about 09.30, and foggy. Suddenly, we came up over the last rise on the road from Settle, and there was this image of grey arches 200 yards ahead rising through, and disappearing into, the simmering mist.
My friends were wowed.
Polarbear
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Chester to Liverpool (with the exception of the bit between Bache and the former Mollington station which is OK). It's mostly in a shallow cutting & the scenery is less than exciting to put it mildly.
Higginsafcb
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Most of WCML in the Midlands...why bother staying awake.
Lincoln to Peterborough....Flat, Flat & more flat, even the flat bits are flat.
Doncaster to cleethorpes...more flat stuff
Lincoln to Peterborough....Flat, Flat & more flat, even the flat bits are flat.
Doncaster to cleethorpes...more flat stuff
Lytham Local
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Birmingham New Street to Cheltenham. So slow and boring out of New Street then reality hits that the closer I get to Cheltenham, the more money I'm going to lose at the race course.
Dr_Paul
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The journey used to have the attraction of the Express Dairy's yard at St Helier, with its own diesel shunter. It was still there in the 1970s.
I'll second Chester - Birkenhead. Mind numbingly boring, should have semi fasts on it, and I feel for the Merseyrail drivers who have to work it.
I also agree that whilst Brum - Wolves is a seriously ugly section of track, it's not boring, I actually enjoy driving it through there for some daft reason, as it isn't repetitive cruising at 125 unlike the Trent Valley which I find to be the dullest stretch of track I actually drive on . The bit leaving WVH really does give a shocking impression of Wolverhampton which is very pleasant around the Penn, Whitewick and Merry Hill areas
I also agree that whilst Brum - Wolves is a seriously ugly section of track, it's not boring, I actually enjoy driving it through there for some daft reason, as it isn't repetitive cruising at 125 unlike the Trent Valley which I find to be the dullest stretch of track I actually drive on . The bit leaving WVH really does give a shocking impression of Wolverhampton which is very pleasant around the Penn, Whitewick and Merry Hill areas
Bletchleyite
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I like the WCML throughout, it basically takes you through all the possible types of scenery that you can get in England. On those grounds (and because I don't like Mk4s) I'd recommend it to tourists over the ECML.
You've got:
- Inner city and suburban London
- The rolling hills of Bucks and Northamptonshire, with some beautiful Chiltern views (best at dusk)
- The "new city" of MK
- The Ruhrgebiet like industrial heartlands of the West Midlands
- More rolling hills (but much greener than down South) of rich Cheshire
- The industrial and historic North West (not quite as grim as the West Midlands)
- A very brief bit of the actual West Coast just north of Lancaster
- The buildup to the Lakes and stunning Shap
- The historic borderlands city of Carlisle
- Another go at Shap-like scenery through Scotland
- Then arrive in your Scottish city of preference
Merthyr Imp
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Boston to Skegness.
matacaster
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Much of ECML is pants.
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