Most interesting Intercity line

[Mojo]

It certainly isn't the ECML south of York. I think the Victoria line is more interesting.

 

[quantinghome]

It certainly isn't the ECML south of York. I think the Victoria line is more interesting.

Oh, I don't know about that. Clearly it doesn't beat the ECML around Berwick or the Dawlish sea wall for spectacle, but if you'd be hard pressed not to admit that the sunrise with a clear sky and a hard frost on the ground somewhere between Retford and Peterborough is pretty damn impressive.

 

[PeterC]

Depends if your interest is in railways or scenary. I used to love the GEML before everything was "improved". The disused goods depot by the Regents Canal and the sidings on the viaduct opposite. All the sidings at Stratford plus narrow guage in the steel stock holders yard. Coal at Manor Park, milk tanks at Ilford, Seven Kings depot. Then odd trains parked between Goodmayes and Chadwell Heath and for a short time the old marshling yard used for shiping Ford cars and the solitary siding to the banana warehouse with a solitary van sometimes there. The engineers depot and two coal yards at Romford and finally the Road Machines monorail at Brentwood sewage works.

Now its all pretty bland apart from some birdwatching at Maningtree.

 

[scotsman]

Edinburgh - Inverness is a definite favourite, and Aberdeen - Edinburgh isn't far off

 

[ld0595]

I second Edinburgh to Aberdeen - although I've not done the HML so I can't comment on that. You cross the Forth and Tay rail bridges and run along the coastline for the majority of the journey which has some cracking views. Go on a HST rather than a clapped out 170 and you're set!

 

[me123]

Edinburgh - Inverness is a definite favourite, and Aberdeen - Edinburgh isn't far off

Surely, if you consider these to be the "true" end of the ECML, the ECML would then win. Even with the relative blandness of the Southern parts (which I quite like, although I've only travelled it a handful of times so I can see why it gets boring!), it just keeps getting more interesting the further North you go. (I think I like the South of the ECML purely because I've played far too much Simsig King's Cross!).

I'll put a special "shout-out" to the approach to Fenchurch Street. It doesn't meet the criteria of being an intercity line, of course, but when I first took this journey I was really pleasantly surprised by the views afforded of the Financial District giving way to the "true" East End.

 

[HowardGWR]

Oh, I don't know about that. Clearly it doesn't beat the ECML around Berwick or the Dawlish sea wall for spectacle, but if you'd be hard pressed not to admit that the sunrise with a clear sky and a hard frost on the ground somewhere between Retford and Peterborough is pretty damn impressive.

A fair point and I often enjoy similar effects when travelling by rail in Holland.

On the Devon Sea Wall, in fact, you don't see much on the train, as you are usually hard up against the cliff one side, and then just the sea on the other, or in a tunnel. The two estuaries are good if you are a birder, but in fact the best views are of the train, not from the train. Not long ago,my wife and I travelled by train to Dawlish Warren, walked along the sea wall to Dawlish, and then back on the train, a nice trip.

 

[Tetchytyke]

It certainly isn't the ECML south of York. I think the Victoria line is more interesting.

I'd say south of Durham, to be quite honest. Once you've seen the cathedral you may as well snooze all the way to London. Dull dull dull.

(Although the power stations near Ferrybridge at sunrise on a cold crisp morning are quite spectacular).

I don't think any main line is consistently interesting. The ECML north of Morpeth is very scenic, even once it goes inland north of Berwick. The WCML through the Lune gorge and then up Shap is very spectacular. The GWML is interesting after Exeter, especially if the sea is high at Dawlish. But they all have plenty of very very boring bits.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't think any main line is consistently interesting. The ECML north of Morpeth is very scenic, even once it goes inland north of Berwick. The WCML through the Lune gorge and then up Shap is very spectacular. The GWML is interesting after Exeter, especially if the sea is high at Dawlish. But they all have plenty of very very boring bits.

I'm really not convinced that very much of the WCML is boring at all. You start at Euston with urban sprawl, industry and Wembley. You move onto leafy, rolling hills and canals in Buckinghamshire, and continue in that vein through the Trent Valley, having enjoyed overtaking cars at twice their speed as you pass the M1 near Northampton. You then move onto the post-industrial Northern towns and cities, then build up to the Lakes, stop at the old borderlands City of Carlisle and its impressive station, then on through the spectacular Lune Gorge, before once again entering the urban sprawl and industry of Glasgow.

The ECML south of Newcastle is like a 3 hour journey through an elongated version of the Netherlands. Tedious beyond belief.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I'm really not convinced that very much of the WCML is boring at all. You start at Euston with urban sprawl, industry and Wembley. You move onto leafy, rolling hills and canals in Buckinghamshire, and continue in that vein through the Trent Valley, having enjoyed overtaking cars at twice their speed as you pass the M1 near Northampton. You then move onto the post-industrial Northern towns and cities, then build up to the Lakes, stop at the old borderlands City of Carlisle and its impressive station, then on through the spectacular Lune Gorge, before once again entering the urban sprawl and industry of Glasgow.

The ECML south of Newcastle is like a 3 hour journey through an elongated version of the Netherlands. Tedious beyond belief.

I would have to agree with you about the West Coast route and certainly the stretch beside the M1 around Watford Gap, wouldn't it be so much better though if it was maintained like it was in the 1970's/80's without the profusion of trees and bushes that have grown unchecked since then? Similar thing on the Great Western where it runs alongside the M5 in Devon, it used to be totally devoid of growth back then, can't speak for the East Coast south of Peterborough or travelling across the Netherlands as I've never managed to do these runs up to now.

 

[Blamethrower]

Agreed, has to be the wcml as it has everything and doesn't pass through many flat lands

 

[yorksrob]

Depends if your interest is in railways or scenary. I used to love the GEML before everything was "improved". The disused goods depot by the Regents Canal and the sidings on the viaduct opposite. All the sidings at Stratford plus narrow guage in the steel stock holders yard. Coal at Manor Park, milk tanks at Ilford, Seven Kings depot. Then odd trains parked between Goodmayes and Chadwell Heath and for a short time the old marshling yard used for shiping Ford cars and the solitary siding to the banana warehouse with a solitary van sometimes there. The engineers depot and two coal yards at Romford and finally the Road Machines monorail at Brentwood sewage works.

Now its all pretty bland apart from some birdwatching at Maningtree.

I agree with what you're saying about tidying up.

Looking out for the various decrepit items of rolling stock at places such as Peterborough and Bounds Green was one of the few things of interest on the southern end of the ECML.
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I would have to agree with you about the West Coast route and certainly the stretch beside the M1 around Watford Gap, wouldn't it be so much better though if it was maintained like it was in the 1970's/80's without the profusion of trees and bushes that have grown unchecked since then? Similar thing on the Great Western where it runs alongside the M5 in Devon, it used to be totally devoid of growth back then, can't speak for the East Coast south of Peterborough or travelling across the Netherlands as I've never managed to do these runs up to now.

And run with Mk 3's

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Agreed, has to be the wcml as it has everything and doesn't pass through many flat lands

Yes you can even see the sea passing close to Morecambe. Lune Gorge is wonderful. Scottish lowlands I love too.

 

[Ash Bridge]

And run with Mk 3's

And that would be the creme de la creme for some of us!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

And run with Mk 3's

And that would be the creme de la creme for some of us!

With Class 87s and a DVT

 

[yorksrob]

Yes you can even see the sea passing close to Morecambe. Lune Gorge is wonderful. Scottish lowlands I love too.

I do like the fact that you can get the best bit of the WCML from the Leeds - Morecambe stopper !

 

[Iskra]

I do like the fact that you can get the best bit of the WCML from the Leeds - Morecambe stopper !

The Bentham line is massively underrated, but personally I think the best bits of the WCML are Beattock-Carstairs and Shap-Oxenholme.

I agree with the posters saying that the WCML is the least boring overall. It's quite interesting whizzing down the Trent Valley alongside canals and the motorway. The ECML south of York is simply dull, the GWML is also pretty boring Taunton-Reading and actively awful closer to London.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I do like the fact that you can get the best bit of the WCML from the Leeds - Morecambe stopper !

Viewed through the panoramic windows whilst sat in the opulent luxury interior of a sleek Northern 142

(Sorry, couldn't resist that)

 

[yorksrob]

Viewed through the panoramic windows whilst sat in the opulent luxury interior of a sleek Northern 142

(Sorry, couldn't resist that)

Well, it's certainly an 'alternative' travel experience to the pendolino !
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

GWML is also pretty boring Taunton-Reading and actively awful closer to London.

Reading to Taunton is quite attractive in its way.

 

[Mikey C]

The WCML through Birmingham is very interesting too, as being on a high viaduct for much of the time you get a great view of Birmingham's beauty

 

[Dave1954]

I Personally like the run out of Euston to Crewe at speed and non stop
Still like it after 40 years ........ regards Dave

 

[yorksrob]

I Personally like the run out of Euston to Crewe at speed and non stop
Still like it after 40 years ........ regards Dave

Did most of that in the opposite direction on the Hastings Thumper a year or two ago - worth the ride

I have quite a nostalgia for the WCML from my University days.

 

[HowardGWR]

Real Inter-city trains today are too fast to take note of the passing scene. For that reason, despite my earlier comments, perhaps Waterloo to Portsmouth has its charms as, due to the crawler speed, one has plenty of time to look out of the window.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I'll do the cheerleading for the route out of Marylebone then. Debatable whether it's an 'intercity' route or not, but you can jump on a locomotive hauled rake of Mk3 coaches travelling between the capital and second city which must be something even if the trains didn't have a swallow painted on them in the 80s.

The route through West London is fairly typical I suppose. The tunnels out of Marylebone do go directly beneath Lord's Cricket stadium but you can't see them. You do race against Jubilee and Met line trains for three or four miles between Finchley Road and Neasden, the speeds of the lines are fairly similar as the entire railway in on viaducts for that stretch but the mainline trains pull away somewhere around Dollis Hill. You then go as close to Wembley Stadium as you can get without getting off the train before running parallel to the Central line via the Ruislips. If you are sharp eyed you'll see a few other railways in this section too. Once you are past Ruislip you then hit leafy south Bucks, it's all rolling hills and big houses, the Chiltern hills between High Wycombe and Princes Risborough are designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty and they look great from the train, probably why the line is named after them. It's flat fields and farmland until you reach Leamington Spa and it's fairly green from there all the way into Birmingham. Sadly you can't see Warwick castle from the train. If you go through Birmingham to the end of the Chiltern railways route you get to chalk two more Stadiums off your list too, you can see St Andrews (Birmingham City) and you pass through The Hawthorns (West Brom) railway station too, but other than a giant West Brom badge painted on a wall facing the railway you don't see much football related.

If you know where to look you can see Edgbaston (cricket) and Old Joe (tallest clock tower in the world) on the approach to Moor Street but they are both blink and you'll miss them sights.

 

[eisenach]

I'll do the cheerleading for the route out of Marylebone then. Debatable whether it's an 'intercity' route or not, but you can jump on a locomotive hauled rake of Mk3 coaches travelling between the capital and second city which must be something even if the trains didn't have a swallow painted on them in the 80s.

The route through West London is fairly typical I suppose. The tunnels out of Marylebone do go directly beneath Lord's Cricket stadium but you can't see them. You do race against Jubilee and Met line trains for three or four miles between Finchley Road and Neasden, the speeds of the lines are fairly similar as the entire railway in on viaducts for that stretch but the mainline trains pull away somewhere around Dollis Hill. You then go as close to Wembley Stadium as you can get without getting off the train before running parallel to the Central line via the Ruislips. If you are sharp eyed you'll see a few other railways in this section too. Once you are past Ruislip you then hit leafy south Bucks, it's all rolling hills and big houses, the Chiltern hills between High Wycombe and Princes Risborough are designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty and they look great from the train, probably why the line is named after them. It's flat fields and farmland until you reach Leamington Spa and it's fairly green from there all the way into Birmingham. Sadly you can't see Warwick castle from the train. If you go through Birmingham to the end of the Chiltern railways route you get to chalk two more Stadiums off your list too, you can see St Andrews (Birmingham City) and you pass through The Hawthorns (West Brom) railway station too, but other than a giant West Brom badge painted on a wall facing the railway you don't see much football related.

If you know where to look you can see Edgbaston (cricket) and Old Joe (tallest clock tower in the world) on the approach to Moor Street but they are both blink and you'll miss them sights.

You beat me to it !
I travelled the Moor St. - Marylebone line for the first time last autumn, and I found it a very pleasant run, especially on the up journey in a MkIII. The DMU return was rather less good, but it was dark, too, so I didn't see much.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Yes you can even see the sea passing close to Morecambe. Lune Gorge is wonderful. Scottish lowlands I love too.

I do like the fact that you can get the best bit of the WCML from the Leeds - Morecambe stopper !

Ah, Hest Bank... The only place that justifies the C in WCML!

it's surprising how certain routes have little patches of scenic countryside where you wouldn't expect it... Between Batley and Morley Tunnel there's brief respite from the urban sprawl of metropolitan West Yorkshire. In fact I'm going to nominate Liverpool to Scarborough due to the variety on a full length run. There's the industrial decline up to Manchester which has a certain charm, then views of the bustling metropolis before the leafy suburbia (no, I'm not trying to sell a house near Guide Bridge!) then the rugged hills with views of the canal interrupted only by Standedge tunnel. Lots of attractive buildings either side of Huddersfield, before the intermittent built-up areas leading up to the edge of Leeds. If you're doing the run, now would be a good time to go to the loo as there's nothing to see here until the countryside at Garforth and beyond.

Whatever you do, don't look to the South as you enter Leeds, there's not an anti-depressant available that will cure the ills you'll suffer as a result. Also, Massimo may charge you £40 for the privilege!

 

[driver_m]

And if you're on the Sleepers you have the added problems:

1. You're sleeping
2. It's dark!


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I was once travelling on a Euston - Holyhead train with a group of American tourists. They had heard a lot about the Welsh scenery and insisted that I let them know the moment we crossed the border.



It would be fair to say that they were a little underwhelmed by Mold Junction, Shotton and Flint!

Haha that bit isn't too brilliant (though the Airbus factory is worth a gander) though I bet they enjoyed it after Abergele, from there on it is a superb line that I love driving over. Not many finer sites than the sunset around Colwich on a clear summer evening with a Hot Air Balloon in view too.

 

[urbophile]

I'd go for the WCML. Scenic almost throughout, and some interesting city vistas on approach to the various big cities (Liverpool Lime St aside) as well.

I wouldn't underrate the approach to Lime Street. Huge panorama of streetscapes, church and cathedral towers, open skies until you get to Edge Hill, then, as described by Quentin Hughes in Seaport (writing in steam days): 'Through these cuttings, their moisture-laden walls reflecting the shafts of grey light from above and the flashes of ruddy light given off from the firebox, and curtained with the variegated pattern of sodden lichen, trains rumble into Lime Street Station. Through this setting of sublime grandeur passengers are carried to the very heart of the city.'

Pity about Lime Street itself though!

As for other lines, you can't beat the ECML through Durham and Newcastle.

 

[driver_m]

I wouldn't underrate the approach to Lime Street. Huge panorama of streetscapes, church and cathedral towers, open skies until you get to Edge Hill, then, as described by Quentin Hughes in Seaport (writing in steam days): 'Through these cuttings, their moisture-laden walls reflecting the shafts of grey light from above and the flashes of ruddy light given off from the firebox, and curtained with the variegated pattern of sodden lichen, trains rumble into Lime Street Station. Through this setting of sublime grandeur passengers are carried to the very heart of the city.'

Pity about Lime Street itself though!

As for other lines, you can't beat the ECML through Durham and Newcastle.

The front view through the tunnels in and out of Lime St is amazing if there is sunshine and it's been particularly damp beforehand. Only bit of Lime St that's a dump is getting redeveloped soon so hopefully it'll be all good soon.

 

[Ash Bridge]

The front view through the tunnels in and out of Lime St is amazing if there is sunshine and it's been particularly damp beforehand. Only bit of Lime St that's a dump is getting redeveloped soon so hopefully it'll be all good soon.

Ha ha, you are getting us all jealous now with your drivers eye view, incidentally the view from the cab must be quite something approaching Crewe running through non stop on the fast lines at 80/90 mph?