Least scenic lines

[pemma]

The Christian O'Connell Breakfast show on Absolute Radio this morning was discussing Chris Tarrant's and Michael Portillo's railway programs and they went on discuss whether they could make an interesting program on the least scenic lines in Britain and went on to ask listeners which they were.

Ones I heard mentioned were a Port Talbot route, a London Waterloo route and Birmingham-Wolverhampton. I don't know if any one else who listened can add any more detail.

 

[tractakid]

Waterloo and City line may have been a contender in BR days!

 

[mfc3024]

It probably depends upon how you define 'least scenic'.

Some might say that industrial areas are scenic in their own way, others would disagree. I guess it is all subjective.

For me I think the journey coming out of Edinburgh between Haymarket and Carstairs is not very scenic. I find it a long, slow, depressing stretch.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Bolton-Salford Crescent is exceptionally dull.

 

[Urban Gateline]

I'd nominate London Waterloo to Chessington South, the line past Raynes Park is such a dump!

 

[W230]

It probably depends upon how you define 'least scenic'.

Some might say that industrial areas are scenic in their own way, others would disagree. I guess it is all subjective.

I find going through the old industrial areas scenic, well, interesting at least. I would much prefer this to travelling across the fens on an overcast February day, when all you can see is flat brown muddy fields.

 

[steamybrian]

North Kent Line London Bridge-Dartford via Woolwich.
It is one line I detest travelling over it due to vandalism, fly tipped rubbish, industrial buildings

 

[ian959]

Birmingham-Wolverhampton is an obvious contender but funnily enough I find the journey much more 'scenic' now than it was in the 1960's just after electrification.

 

[PacerFace]

Bolton-Salford Crescent is exceptionally dull.

Steady! that passes my childhood home of Stoneclough! Although it used to be much more interesting when the power station and mini electrified railway used to be there.

My throw into the hat would be Leeds to Horsforth, its a snoozeathon, I think the line gets much more interesting after Horsforth but I don't go that far.

 

[bicbasher]

P'Boro to Lincoln via Spalding.

 

[Ivo]

North Kent Line London Bridge-Dartford via Woolwich.
It is one line I detest travelling over it due to vandalism, fly tipped rubbish, industrial buildings

As soon as I saw the thread title I thought "the line through Woolwich". As well as all the things you have described, it goes through some rather undesirable areas (Greenwich excepted I suppose), is intolerably slow, and much of it is in trenches that hardly need to be there.

Other routes I would put forward include the southern section of the Merseyrail Northern line, Grays to Barking via Rainham, most lines in and around Birmingham (with the exception of the southern Cross City - as much as I don't want to admit that!), and much of the Overground (especially ex-Silverlink routes).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Birmingham-Wolverhampton is an obvious contender but funnily enough I find the journey much more 'scenic' now than it was in the 1960's just after electrification.

Have they got rid of all those stupid metal horse cutouts everywhere, or is it just that the grass has grown over them?
I always thought the blast furnace under the line at Crane St was much more interesting before it closed and became derelict.

The run through the Potteries also used to be grim but it's got a lot greener lately.

The approach to Euston around Queen's Park is none too attractive either.

 

[telstarbox]

Birmingham-Wolverhampton is an obvious contender but funnily enough I find the journey much more 'scenic' now than it was in the 1960's just after electrification.

I'd call it 'interesting' rather than 'scenic' with the canal, the steelworks, BOC yard and so on. The section south of the line just east of Wolves station is one of the most depressed/derelict I've seen anywhere though.

 

[OuterDistant]

The run through the Potteries also used to be grim but it's got a lot greener lately

The Potteries Loop would surely have been a good shout!

 

[cuccir]

For all that it offers in central London and further north, the WCML is very dull from Wembley to Wigan.

 

[martinsh]

Liverpool - Kirkby
St Pancras - Blackfriars
Barking - Upminster
Conisborough - Doncaster

 

[oddiesjack]

There's not a lot to see between Severn Tunnel Junction and Pilning!

 

[bicbasher]

As soon as I saw the thread title I thought "the line through Woolwich". As well as all the things you have described, it goes through some rather undesirable areas (Greenwich excepted I suppose), is intolerably slow, and much of it is in trenches that hardly need to be there.

The view from Greenwich station itself isn't exactly spectacular. Maze Hill is probably the 'best' otherwise I'd agree with the sentiments about the rest of the line being an ex-commuter.

 

[Crossover]

Have they got rid of all those stupid metal horse cutouts everywhere, or is it just that the grass has grown over them?

The last time I saw, they were still there, just grazing :P

I'm fairly certain the one at Wolverhampton station is still there, anyhow

 

[jb]

Either of the two old Eurostar routes out of Waterloo International:

Vauxhall - Wandsworth Road - Clapham High St, then:

Brixton - Herne Hill - West Dulwich - Sydenham Hill - Penge East - Beckenham Junction - Shortlands

OR

Denmark Hill - Peckham Rye - Catford - Beckenham Hill - Shortlands

Stinky.

 

[davetheguard]

Channel Tunnel.

But you can always walk along to the buffet and have a cup of tea, and by the time you get back to your seat you'll be out the other end!

 

[jb]

Liverpool St - Bethnal Green - Cambridge Heath - London Fields - Hackney Downs - Clapton - Tottenham Hale is pretty grim (as, indeed, are the nearby branches to Enfield Town and through Turkey St). As a regular flyer into and out of Stansted, I'm subjected to it on a fairly regular basis.

 

[fgwrich]

Cambridge - Bury - Ipswich has to be a contender from me. Both in terms of the grotty rolling stock (if you can now see out of the windows on GAs 153s now) and in scenic terms.

(I like my rolling hills im afraid, not flat rolling countryside with very little scenic difference for miles)

 

[yorksrob]

Either of the two old Eurostar routes out of Waterloo International:

Vauxhall - Wandsworth Road - Clapham High St, then:

Brixton - Herne Hill - West Dulwich - Sydenham Hill - Penge East - Beckenham Junction - Shortlands

OR

Denmark Hill - Peckham Rye - Catford - Beckenham Hill - Shortlands

Stinky.

I've always rather liked the views of the backs of Victorian terraces in their yellow London brick and their selection of back yards in the Brixton area. Then there's the rather menacing, but certainly arresting looking concrete tower block near Factory Junction (although the loss of the SR signal box there has definately detracted from the scenery in recent years).

The whole area looks far better from a VEP compartment though.

 

[corin paul]

Sorry most of you. Keep Scotland and the hills, or the Pennines in England, and as for flat old Lincoln to Peterborough with it's busy line. No.
I like the approach to King's Cross from Hitchin, or Watford to Euston and Stockport to Manchester Piccadilly. Seeing the dirty back of big cities. Far more interesting.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Definitely disagree with Birmingham to Wolverhampton (if you mean the main line: if you mean the route the Metro takes, perhaps, fair enough): industrial heritage aplenty, and the canal and associated works and features add interest. Disagree with Barking to Rainham for similar reasons. Yes, it’s kind of bleak, but gloriously, gloriously, bleak.

So where do I find dull/unscenic? The WCML within Greater London, certainly, perhaps without exception: and ditto the bit through/near Warrington (also industrial, but somehow less interesting that the lines I’ve defended). Although in fact a lot the WCML is not overly scenic, certainly less so than the ECML. Not sure any of the mainlines into London are that interesting (except maybe the ECML. And that mainly for the view of Ally Pally)

 

[class303]

Motherwell to Glasgow central on the WCML. good 1st impression of Scotland for visitors from the south :roll:

 

[SprinterMan]

P'Boro to Lincoln via Spalding.

Cambridge - Bury - Ipswich has to be a contender from me. Both in terms of the grotty rolling stock (if you can now see out of the windows on GAs 153s now) and in scenic terms.

(I like my rolling hills im afraid, not flat rolling countryside with very little scenic difference for miles)

Disagree strongly with both of these. Peterborough to Lincoln is great, when the sun is out and the fields are full of tulips and misty hills can be seen looking west it is like being on holiday :P

Ipswich to Cambridge is really pretty I think, it is hilly for East Anglia, and is pretty for quite a lot of it's length. Crossing Newmarket Heath is certainly nice. The rolling stock situation is much improved, with almost all services being worked by 170s, which GA keep MUCH cleaner than NXEA ever did. This line is certainly prettier than the East Suffolk line.

Adam

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Although in fact a lot the WCML is not overly scenic, certainly less so than the ECML. Not sure any of the mainlines into London are that interesting (except maybe the ECML. And that mainly for the view of Ally Pally)

Can't agree there.
WCML north of Preston is far more scenic than the ECML north of York.
Crewe-Lichfield is great too, better than, well, Hitchin to York except the bit through Grantham. There's also the Grand Union canal to follow in places.
They are both pleasant through the Chilterns.

Other depressing locations:
North Wales coast through caravan-land (Prestatyn-Rhyl-Abergele)
Slough ("come friendly bombs..." etc), up to Padd really
Glasgow QS to Airdrie
Warrington BQ (smell the Unilever soap)
Bristol Stapleton Road (or is it Lawrence Hill?)
Ardwick-Guide Bridge
Birmingham New St

 

[43074]

Nottingham - Skegness - just flat for miles and as for Skeggy... The less said the better.
Stourbridge Junction - Birmingham Moor Street
Ipswich - Lowestoft - no interest on the route whatsoever apart from the boats at Woodbridge.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I found the Birmingham to Wolverhampton route very interesting when I did it. It's not scenic, no. But industrially it's very interesting.