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Most Interesting, Most Nostalgic, Most Boring, Most Hated

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E16 Cyclist

Member
Joined
14 Oct 2011
Messages
185
Location
London
Most interesting: the Kyle of lochalsh line, stunning scenery you don’t see on your average commute

Most Nostalgic: Trowbridge train station, where i took my first train journey from when it still had its original stations buildings before being demolished and eventually replaced by something dull and boring

Most Boring: ECML between Kings Cross and York is either flat with nothing to see or a succession of tunnels with nothing to see

Most Hated: The trend for all trains being units, even the new intercity trains are basically units just fast ones, gradually there’s less and less character out there replaced with just bland
 
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southernyoshi

Member
Joined
12 Sep 2014
Messages
156
Most interesting - It’s probably because I travelled on it for leisure rather than commuting but I really like the Brighton Main Line, especially northbound. Lovely countryside through Sussex including the very underrated Ouse viaduct, lots of regular stations to mark progress, going right past the Gatwick runway, then from Purley on with all the lines joining, passing over the bustle of south London & entering Victoria across the river with the real sense of arrival somewhere big. Lots of opportunities for regular passengers to get an advantage too with the different seats in some forms of 377, moving down the train at Haywards Heath to be nearer the barriers etc :p.
Most nostalgic - Not really sure what to put here - I’d probably say Preston station, used to go there with my mum almost every week because Preston was the nearest bank branch to us in Kendal & she needed to do something there. Always remember trains everywhere & at the time there were so many different types of rolling stock from Pacers still with the gold star livery to the early new Virgin trains - & always actually hoping that the train back to Oxenholme would be one of the early Pendos.
Most boring - North Downs Line, Reading to Redhill. Dead straight, not much variation of scenery, the Turbo drone.The only time I’ve ever been kicked off a train by the cleaner due to falling asleep & not getting up on arrival at Redhill. Thankfully I didn’t go to the depot...
Most hated - Euston. HS2 or not, just flatten it & start again. Just embarrassing that that’s the gateway to one of the world’s greatest cities from the most important line of its country. Oh & please please get rid of that awful scramble - the Germans tell you your platform a week in advance, why do Euston wait to the final few minutes?! Oh & I also hate facing the wrong way, I’m very fussy like that. If the train reverses & there’s a seat free that’s facing the right way, I’ll move to it. I know, I’m weird :p
 

chefchenko

Member
Joined
8 Apr 2011
Messages
137
Location
congleton
Most interesting: the Kyle of lochalsh line, stunning scenery you don’t see on your average commute

Most Nostalgic: Trowbridge train station, where i took my first train journey from when it still had its original stations buildings before being demolished and eventually replaced by something dull and boring

Most Boring: ECML between Kings Cross and York is either flat with nothing to see or a succession of tunnels with nothing to see

Most Hated: The trend for all trains being units, even the new intercity trains are basically units just fast ones, gradually there’s less and less character out there replaced with just bland
Ahh Trowbridge my hometown, lovely old gwr buildings demolished in the dead of night I believe ☹️☹️
 

Peter C

Established Member
Joined
13 Oct 2018
Messages
4,514
Location
GWR land
Most interesting: The number of old British Rail and particularly Network SouthEast signs which are still around.

Most nostalgic: A First Great Western HST set completely in Dynamic Lines - I spent many hours at Oxford watching them go past the carriage sidings. FGW Blue 165/166s are also a contender here for the same reason.

Most boring: As someone who loves looking out of the window on a train journey, I find repetitive scenery quite boring. But not in urban areas, strangely; maybe because there's little urban scenery near the Cotswold Line!

Most hated: Kidderminster station (before the rebuild began) - I went there once and it was horrible. Dirty, covered in litter, and just generally a not very nice place to be - in complete contrast to the SVR Kidderminster Town station over the car park, which is lovely.
 
Joined
15 May 2018
Messages
7
Location
Penistone
Most interesting: Any line through a built up area at an elevation, such as Man Picc - Vic via the Castlefield corridor and the Ordsall Chord or the Thameslink route into Blackfriars from the south (What a view from that bridge!). You can do the same journey multiple times over and there'll always be something new to focus on or details you've not noticed before, bits of hidden history of the railways tucked into the designs of bridges and stonework. I also find it really interesting to look down at the sea of people below and think about how each person is doing something different, some are in a rush, some aren't, some are with friends/family, some are alone and the majority probably aren't paying any attention to the people they pass by.

Most nostalgic: HSTs at Sheffield station. When I was young, my grandma used to take me on days out to sit and watch trains at Sheffield (A major contributing factor to my rail enthusiam no doubt!) and to be stood at the south end of platform 5 as the 43 screamed into life and pulled away with a great billow of smoke is a memory that has stayed with me since. A much rarer sight now with most of EMR's HSTs concentrated on Nottingham services and soon enough it will only be CrossCountry's handful of sets gracing the station with their presence.

Most boring: My home line, the Penistone line to Sheffield. Not that it's not an interesting line, there's plenty to see, problem is I've done it so many times over in my life that at this point there isn't much that I've not already seen!

Most hated: Poor seat alignment with windows - There's nothing worse that finding your window seat has a great big pillar providing just a sliver of a view at best or no view at all for a several hour journey. I've had the most bad experiences of this on Voyagers, combine this with the fact they are often packed to the brim means that relocating to a better seat is usually not an option.
 

lxfe_mxtterz

Member
Joined
3 Mar 2018
Messages
817
Location
Sarahdale (West of Emmerdale)
Most interesting: For me, it'd probably have to be the Cambrian Coast Line. I've always loved the line, its uniqueness and its fascinating sights along the way. There's just something so compelling about the scenery en route, having the mountains on one side and the sea on the other. The strange isolation of the route is also intriguing, in that it takes almost 3h 45m to reach Shrewsbury, the first place where the Cambrian Line actually joins up with the rest of the network (barring the Aberystwyth Branch). :)

Most nostalgic: I'm a bit useless so I have no clue about the type of train, but I do have some fond memories of travelling on the Portsmouth Direct Line onboard slam-door trains. If I remember correctly, I think my first ever train journey was on one of these trains to Portsmouth.

Most boring: I've always found the stretch of line between Sheffield and Doncaster to be quite soul-destroying. Particularly as it juxtaposes the pleasant Hope Valley line if you're on a TransPennine Express service from Manchester. In addition, despite the relatively short distance, this stretch of line always seems to drag on forever, even on one of the aforementioned TransPennine Express services.

Most hated: Purely based on a past experience, Wolverhampton station. After having almost ran all the way from Wolverhampton Racecourse back to the station one evening to catch the last train home, Transport for Wales managed to mess up my journey by cancelling this last train, leaving me with no option but to board a Virgin Trains service instead - the last one - via a different route whereby my ticket wasn't valid. It was a stressful journey, to say the least but luckily there weren't any ticket inspections. I did manage to claim compensation afterwards, however.

And I'm going to add an extra category here as I feel like this deserves a mention...

Most enjoyable: The (or what was) Virgin Trains first class breakfast service. Despite the rather small portions and the possibility of getting turfed out of Coach K on the Pendolinos - which has indeed happened to me - I've always enjoyed the Virgin Trains first class breakfast service. I just really enjoy the idea of being on a long journey onboard a comfortable train (Yes, comfortable, bring on the hate! :lol:) eating a cooked breakfast. I find it incredibly relaxing, especially when you know you're likely to be off to holiday somewhere nice.
 

61653 HTAFC

Veteran Member
Joined
18 Dec 2012
Messages
17,623
Location
Another planet...
Most interesting: Doncaster. Lots to see while changing trains, plenty of freight passing. Only downside is it's in Doncaster, meaning some er, "interesting" characters once you leave the station!

Most nostalgic: Aberystwyth. Not much in terms of varied traction (VoR notwithstanding) but I have many memories of 37s rumbling away there from childhood holidays... and years later dated a student who was at the uni up the hill! The station has been refurbished well, and the pub helps even though it's only a 'Spoons.

Most boring: Moans about Pacers; False nostalgia for Pacers; moans about modern trains "lacking character" (whatever that means); puns based on TOC nicknames; voice-artist "Stans"; rivet-counters; long ranty lists.

Most hated: Branding frippery (looking at you, Virgin); habitual fare-dodgers; COVID-19.
 

Class800

Established Member
Joined
5 Feb 2020
Messages
1,939
Location
West Country
Most interesting: Either the Dawlish line, the ECML near Alnmouth, or the West Highland Way - cannot choose!

Most Nostalgic: My first ever station - Woolwich Arsenal, though it has been totally re-built since.

Most Boring: The long drag into Birmingham New Street through the Cross City line on XC inter city services from the South West. So slow.

Most Hated: Toilet charges - the Equality Act should have put paid to that, but failed to do it in practice. Pregnant women, the elderly, those with underlying medical conditions that make them need to 'go' more often - clear discrimination. Too hard to 'adjust', so only fair solution would be free for everyone.
 

HowardGWR

Established Member
Joined
30 Jan 2013
Messages
4,983
Most interesting: Clapham Junction, the sense of a really important railway in the life of the country doing its job.

Most nostalgic: Lawrence Hill mid 1950s, time 1634, and the Bristolian powering under the bridge to attack Filton Bank.

Most Boring: Havant to Barnham through south coast flat lands settlements (as seen from the train anyway).

Most Hated: Automatic announcements especially when our guard duplicates the automatic ones. One or the other please, prefer the guard.

Following an earlier poster
Most enjoyable: Meal on the train, where available, but also enjoy own-brought 'sandwich' fare. Good use of one's time.
 

Big Tim

Member
Joined
21 Jan 2017
Messages
177
Location
York
Most Interesting: I hold fondly the stretch of the ECML between Newcastle and Edinburgh. Something for everyone: the Northumberland Coast; the urban residential and industrial landscapes of two large cities (those at either end); depots / sidings containing a range of stock; The Royal Border Bridge at Berwick; some stunning railway architecture; and it also passes a motorcycle racing circuit - East Fortune - just north of Dunbar - a place I spend a fair number of weekends at in the Summer months (although not this year for obvious reasons).

Most Nostalgic: The Tay Rail Bridge. Not only have I crossed it numerous times, it was the landmark of "coming home" for a decade when I lived in Dundee - crossing the Bridge reassured me I would be home in a matter of minutes! I lived in a first floor apartment at the bottom of Roseangle, and my bedroom looked directly at the junction at the North End of the Bridge and the line to Perth - absolutely fantastic. I even miss the noisy overnight maintenance work (with dazzling floodlights). I doubt I will ever be lucky enough to live in a place with such a fantastic vantage point of the railway carrying a diverse range of stock as I did back in 1998 - 2007.

Most Boring: Many hours spent waiting on advance bookings at the old Dundee Station - something I have done for more than two decades. In fact, aside from the cosmetic changes upstairs, platform level is pretty much unchanged from it's dark nondescript era of old - aside from the removal of the Tay Bar moving the toilets into the Scotrail waiting room, and adding the Caledonian Sleeper Lounge.

Most Hated: The minority of selfish passengers who make a very small number of journeys unpleasant or uncomfortable. i.e. the antisocial types who think of no-one other than themselves or their group. (under this umbrella I am talking litterbugs, drunks, those making excessive noise, aggressive sorts etc). Thankfully few and far between for me, but have encountered it on occasion. (So not a "Hate" of the railway, but some users of it ...)

Most Enjoyable: Having a pint or two at York Tap before boarding a train destined for a holiday / leisure trip.
 
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backontrack

Established Member
Joined
2 Feb 2014
Messages
6,383
Location
The UK
Most enjoyable: Any time I can get my feet onto a train in the UK is already enjoyable. I just love it so, so much.
 

Mikey C

Established Member
Joined
11 Feb 2013
Messages
6,830
Most interesting: Docklands Light Railway, such a lot to see, the various creeks of East London, the Limehouse basin, Canary Wharf, ExCel, London City Airport, PLUS the inside of tunnels from the front seat!

Most nostalgic:The now Overground services into Liverpool Street as I spent a year travelling in from Bruce Grove back in the late 80s when I was at University. Especially as it would have been on 315s as well, which 30 years later were virtually identical inside! The new 710s will dent the nostalgia a bit...

Most boring: Much of the ECML is pretty dull.

Most hated: 1992 tube stock on the surface section of the Central Line, on a hot sunny day! Really hot and uncomfortable
And
Most enjoyable: The morning of a day trip or short break, a decent window seat, looking out of the window at the world going by, accompanied by my favourite music playing through my headphones

And the same with a tipple when it's the journey home :D
 

D365

Veteran Member
Joined
29 Jun 2012
Messages
11,396
Most interesting: Doncaster. Lots to see while changing trains, plenty of freight passing. Only downside is it's in Doncaster, meaning some er, "interesting" characters once you leave the station!

That's why, nine times out of ten, I prefer to remain within the station :D

As you say, plenty to see - as long as one doesn't end up with an unplanned three minute connection.
 

Purple Orange

On Moderation
Joined
26 Dec 2019
Messages
3,438
Location
The North
Most Enjoyable: Having a pint or two at York Tap before boarding a train destined for a holiday / leisure trip.

Ah yes, I concur with this completely. My journey time between Manchester and Newcastle has increased by an hour because of this place.
 

Mikey C

Established Member
Joined
11 Feb 2013
Messages
6,830
That's why, nine times out of ten, I prefer to remain within the station :D

As you say, plenty to see - as long as one doesn't end up with an unplanned three minute connection.
Doncaster also has the The Draughtsman Alehouse on Platform 3b, so why leave the station :D

Though to be fair to the town centre, the Doncaster Brewery Tap micro pub seemed very nice too when I visited last summer, and only a short walk away
 

nlogax

Established Member
Joined
29 May 2011
Messages
5,352
Location
Mostly Glasgow-ish. Mostly.
Most interesting: The entirety of the WCML from Euston to Glasgow. So much variety and some fantastic engineering to conquer that pesky gravity stuff north of Preston. I've really become used to Pendos in recent years and the tilt adds to those swooping experiences between Shap and Beattock. Plus on some parts of it if you shut your eyes you can still -smell- where you are ..thanks Warrington Unilever.

Most nostalgic: Any of the suburban lines out of Liverpool Street, especially when turning left at Bethnal Green. Heady childhood memories.

Most Boring: ECML between Peterborough and Donny. So flat, so straight, so utterly dull. I'm assuming there's a mathematical equation which quadruples the boredom factor while traversing that part of the ECML on an Azuma.

Most Hated: XC Voyagers. Still difficult to fathom that on the UK network there are..things which turn a long-distance rail journey into something you just want over with.

Most enjoyable: Back to the top of the list, a direct London <> Scotland run. Ideally in 1st, ideally with a great breakfast, or at the other end of the day (ideally a midsummer evening) with a few glasses of wine.
 

tetudo boy

Member
Joined
5 Apr 2018
Messages
382
Location
Near Liverpool
Most Interesting: The comeback of Loco-hauled proper trains. I don't know why, but it just feels right to bring back Loco-hauled trains!

Most Nostalgic: York Station. It's just so nostalgic and look's like a proper railway station. And of course, you can't miss the National Railway Museum!

Most Boring: My local railway, Merseyrail. Is it just me, or does my local railway, Merseyrail, feel somewhat boring? I think it's just because I've been on it so many times and it never seems to change. Hopefully, the new rolling stock can stop me from feeling bored on Merseyrail.

Most Hated: Pacers. I've been avoiding Pacer's. They are absolutely HORRENDOUS! At least the new trains will do something about them, right?
 

tetudo boy

Member
Joined
5 Apr 2018
Messages
382
Location
Near Liverpool
Oh, I almost forgot the fifth category!

Most Enjoyable: Trains from the Late 1990s and 2000s. Their so comfortable and feel very modern, and I kind of like cramped trains (Don't hate me for this!), not too cramped trains, just slightly cramped trains. I think it's just because It feels very cosy when you are cramped (and when I mean cramped, no, I'm not talking about when there are too many people, I'm talking about how the Interior is designed.) And it also reduces reverb noise and it's a lot more soundproof. They also have what I call ''Warm lights'' that have a warmer hue than other trains. And lastly, the seat's are more padded. It's a shame that recent trains can't adapt to these standards. The closest example of a recent train having these is the Class 385.
 
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LancasterRed

Member
Joined
21 May 2018
Messages
291
Most Interesting: I greatly enjoy traversing the West Coast Mainline between Lancaster and Carlisle for the incredible views and humbling from the hills that tower above you as you weave around the M6. No matter which stock, be it 185, 350 or 390, or others which I'm yet to ride along this route, provides an enjoyable experience.

Most Nostalgic: Virgin/XC Voyagers, the announcement sound complemented with the engine sounds and some of the ambience makes for a nostalgic feeling and always an enjoyable ride on the 220s and 221s. Incidentally, I've never rode on a 222 but would expect a loosely related feeling from riding one.

Most Boring: I can't think of much particularly boring, nowadays technology makes it easily alleviable. However, I do find travelling between West Lancashire and Leeds tedious due to the lack of time on mundane trains such as the pre-refurbished 158s. The 195s are far superior and a journey on one of these would likely alleviate this.

Most Enjoyable: I suppose that I don't find much interesting hence my comment about the WCML occupying that particular slot but I do quite like the fast acceleration of the 331s, even if it can be sickly. Hopefully I will be able to take them on a long journey at some point to discover what they are like over any journey of substantial length.
 

Iskra

Established Member
Joined
11 Jun 2014
Messages
7,785
Location
West Riding
Most Interesting: Lancaster-Glasgow. For me at least it's just a constant stream of interesting things flying past the window, whether that be railway related, historical or natural. A journey that never gets dull.

Most Nostalgic: Droplights, bringing in the sounds and smells of the railway.

Most Boring: Retford-London Kings Cross. Yawn.

Most Hated: Class 150's. Cramped seating, terrible legroom and the views are poor out of them, particularly forward due to the many internal partitions (I mainly travel on Northern ones, I do admit some other TOC's are better). At least you could get a decent view from a Pacer.

Most Enjoyable: trains serving proper cooked meals; there is no better way to travel.
 

Mcr Warrior

Veteran Member
Joined
8 Jan 2009
Messages
11,648
Seem to be common responses on this thread... e.g. Most Boring = Southern sections of ECML; Most Hated = Voyagers and Pacers (in almost equal measure!)
 

Dr Hoo

Established Member
Joined
10 Nov 2015
Messages
3,910
Location
Hope Valley
Most interesting: Another vote for the WCML all the way from Euston to Glasgow.

Most nostalgic: East Lancashire Railway. Has managed to capture so much of what BR was like in my youth (including the shabbiness in many areas).

Most boring: Always used to be a trip from Glasgow Queen Street to Airdrie. Never seemed to be anything worth seeing on the way and when you arrived it really felt like 'was my journey ever worth it'. (A bit better now that you can avoid getting out at Airdrie and continue via Bathgate and some trains are limited stop.)

Most hated: Class 153s with seats too close and usually crowded. Slightly better views than Class 150s, which are also generally awful in Northern-land (albeit better since refurbishment). Pacers with original bus seats much nicer - i moved to the Hope Valley largely because the view from their picture windows was so captivating.

Most enjoyable: Got to be a Pendolino from Euston to Glasgow via the Trent Valley. Sweeping round those curves. Really feels like you're going somewhere and super city to arrive in. (Just don't continue to Airdrie.)
 

Mikey C

Established Member
Joined
11 Feb 2013
Messages
6,830
Seem to be common responses on this thread... e.g. Most Boring = Southern sections of ECML; Most Hated = Voyagers and Pacers (in almost equal measure!)
I think Sprinters (150, 153) are hated as much as the Voyagers and Pacers :D
 

DanTrain

Member
Joined
9 Jul 2017
Messages
753
Location
Sheffield
Most Interesting: West Highland Line, have only done it once but it's stunning!
Most Nostalgic: A pacer on the Hope Valley line - say what you will about pacers, the experience of a pacer with all its windows open on a summer's day bouncing through those tunnels will always remind me of childhood days out!
Most boring: The line between Sheffield and Doncaster, it's a really ugly landscape and always takes longer than would seem nescessary
Most hated: Another vote for voyagers. It's kind of impressive how awful they are!
 

Llandudno

Established Member
Joined
25 Dec 2014
Messages
2,178
Most Interesting: The comeback of Loco-hauled proper trains. I don't know why, but it just feels right to bring back Loco-hauled trains!

Most Nostalgic: York Station. It's just so nostalgic and look's like a proper railway station. And of course, you can't miss the National Railway Museum!

Most Boring: My local railway, Merseyrail. Is it just me, or does my local railway, Merseyrail, feel somewhat boring? I think it's just because I've been on it so many times and it never seems to change. Hopefully, the new rolling stock can stop me from feeling bored on Merseyrail.

Most Hated: Pacers. I've been avoiding Pacer's. They are absolutely HORRENDOUS! At least the new trains will do something about them, right?
Merseyrail maybe boring because:

All the trains are the same
All the stations have a bright yellow branding
All the stations are staffed all of the time
The timetables haven’t changed for years
Easy to remember clock face frequency
Same last trains every night of the week complete with stale burger/chips smell
Extremely reliable, you can set your watch to them

All the above are very predictable and boring, but if you are using the network every day it is very reassuring

Northern on the other hand can never be labelled boring as you don’t know what’s going to happen next!
 

gg1

Established Member
Joined
2 Jun 2011
Messages
1,895
Location
Birmingham
Most interesting: Docklands Light Railway, such a lot to see, the various creeks of East London, the Limehouse basin, Canary Wharf, ExCel, London City Airport, PLUS the inside of tunnels from the front seat!

Agree with every word of this, and if I could go back in time to travel on any defunct line I'd chose the DLR's Victorian equivalent, the Liverpool Overhead Railway

Most nostalgic: Rugby station in the late 80s. As a teenage 'spotter on my regular West Midlands Day Ranger outings it was always my favourite location, mainly because it was a medium sized largely unaltered pre-grouping station complete with trainshed, pretty rare if not unique on the WCML south of Crewe at the time. It's rather dilapidated state at the time only added to it's charm in my eyes.

Most boring: any line which is hemmed in by trees on both sides

Most hated: Just for a change, Voyagers.
 

37057

Member
Joined
3 Jul 2009
Messages
422
Most interesting: Investigating all kinds of faults on trains, both modern multiple units and locos in pres. Occasionally getting out of the depot to deal with in-service issues.

Most nostalgic: Seeing bits of old railway items still in place, to me that's things like the Regional Railways logo in Manchester Victoria or RES vans laid up in sidings etc.

Most boring: Don't go to London very often but Class 700s win this.

Most hated: Uncertainty that comes along with franchise changes.
 

pinkmarie80

Member
Joined
3 Sep 2019
Messages
55
Location
Nottingham
Most interesting- Newcastle to Berwick. Some absolutely beautiful scenery along there. I never tire of seeing it- however when travelling back from Aberdeen after our honeymoon I pointed it out to my husband who just pulled a face!

Most nostalgic- Liverpool Lime Street. The scene of far too many excited arrivals and sobbing departures- I had a long distance relationship with a Liverpool lad in my late teens/early 20’s and it always reminds me of the rollercoaster of emotions I felt in that station.

Most boring- Leicester to Nottingham probably because it’s my commute to work!

Most hated- CrossCountry Turbostars. Horrible, dirty, badly maintained. Dislike them with a passion.

Most enjoyable- LNER first class. I did some work for them when they were VTEC and travelled on all their services first class. I think I got a bit too used to it! Still love first class- theirs is the best I’ve travelled in.
 
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