Most Interesting, Most Nostalgic, Most Boring, Most Hated

[London Trains]

Most interesting: The WCML by far, especially the southern section with its state of the art timetable.

Most nostalgic: Nothing really, I'm not even that old and I literally cant even remember anything from when I was very young!

Most boring: Travelling in the dark when my phone's dead! Or not being able to travel on trains for an awful long time (such as right now).

Most hated: Voyagers (oh I absolutely hate when I end up on a Voyager at Euston when expecting a Pendo) and Class 700s (how can anyone sit on the seats!) equally.

 

[Serathor]

Most interesting: Settle to Carlisle line, and the scenery of the WCML as you head into the North West of England - through to Scotland

Most nostalgic: Darlington Station, It's my local station so the one I use the most. I have vague memories, of when I was a child in the 80's of it always been a lot of hustle and bustle of BR Stock

Most boring: Class 185 Desiro - Yawn! and Like below Darlington to Manchester - Packed in like Sardines - unacceptable

Most hated: Class 220 Voyager, UGH I hate these things, too cramped and uncomfortable. I am 6'3" and I had the misfortune of travelling Darlington to Exeter on one (and back). There is no room at all on these things. And they are never long enough always packed in like Sardines I despise them.

 

[Beemax]

Most interesting: The approach into Durham. Dramatic.

Most nostalgic: The Brockenhurst to Lymington branch. I used to use it regularly in the 1970s but with the rolling stock used, it could easily have been the 1950s.

Most boring: The Sussex coastway line. Very flat and not much coast.

Most hated: Anything with 2+3 seating.

 

[LowLevel]

Most interesting: the Grantham to Skegness line. Full of curious old station buildings, ancient track and signalboxes - a proper time warp. Standing on Sleaford station on a quiet evening is like being in another time.

Most nostalgic: the sound that Mk2 air con carriage's MA sets make when they're sat quietly at a station. I often used to watch the arrivals from London roll into Wolverhampton in the evening then hang around for a few minutes tipping out before going empty to Oxley. It always takes me back when I wander across a charter.

Most boring: Birmingham to Leicester via Nuneaton. Just tedious.

Most hated: a 158 with no air conditioning or luggage space turning up on it's own for a busy summer Skegness train.

 

[Diplodicus]

Nostalgic: Cardiff (General) to Neath with a web of sidings, and lines disappearing off to some hi-pollution industrial complex. There were always 57xx light engines sitting around just out of range for 'copping' them. I once spent a blissful rainy winter's day at Cardiff General in the cab of the station pilot (57xx of course) . As an eleven year-old, I was entranced and as warm as toast.

Hated: Voyagers. Just the thought of having to board one gets any day off to a bad start. Crowded. Smelly. Narrow. Arguments about reservations, and the train hasn't even left the station yet.

Boring: Patronising on-board anouncements at every stop. I now travel via London from Salisbury to Northallerton (as opposed to Winchester - York direct) to avoid Voyagers and their PA system.

Interesting: Despite all the above, and now in my mid-seventies, I still find the whole railway experience interesting and long may it continue.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Most interesting: loco-hauled trains. Thanks TPE for introducing the old-skool 68s so that I don't have to go far to experience one again. Driving trailers are acceptable if it reduces run-round times and smoothens operations.

Most nostalgic: Geneva to Brig along the Rhone Valley in EWIV (Swiss Mk4s) or Italian stock if it was the through train to/from Milan or Venice. The stretch along Lac Léman from Lausanne to Villeneuve holds some special memories - the Geneva to Lausanne stretch is a bit boring by comparison (though still nice with the Jura on one side and the French Alps further away on the other)

Most boring: most multiple units and some flat inland stretches of track in the UK and abroad. Most of the Ruhr area to Hamburg was pretty dull, only brightened up by the sheer amount of rail activity.

Most hated: 2-coach or generally too-short trains in the peaks! Not an issue since mid-March of course but may rear its ugly head again later in the year. That said the provision of rolling stock is increasing throughout the years so it's becoming less of an issue.

 

[TrainTrackJack]

In my opinion I would say:
Most Interesting: Loco hauled trains making a gradual return to the main line, e.g the Chiltern and TPE 68s.
Most Nostalgic: FOCs returning heritage Diesels to the mainline e.g GBRFs 50s, Boden Rails 31's and DCR's 56's.
Most Boring: Railtours which have sealed up windows so you cant hear the thrash of a diesel or the beat of a steam locomotive from the inside, or even the staff not letting you open a droplight and standing in the safety of the vestibule to record. I see the safety issue of full on bashing, but surely opening a window and standing back is fine.
Most Hated: IETs. replacing / replaced everything that in my books is good. also, the removal of yellow fronts. a yellow front gives even the most boring DMU/ EMU (e.g a 175 for TfW or 720 for GA) stand out. the abolishment of the standard just makes the trains look ugly, eg the 397s. in my view these are some of the ugliest trains ever built, with the 196 and 730 at the top of that list.

 

[Halish Railway]

Most interesting: DLR! It’s impossible to sit at the front without a smile!

Most nostalgic: York, it just feels that it hasn’t changed much over the past 30 years, though I miss the barbie 185s and the HSTs. Fortunately the amount of IC225s still seem to outweigh Azumas.

Most boring: Preston to Lancaster, Yawn! Especially on a 75mph Sprinter.

Most hated: Voyagers! I dread going on them - The stench of urine, lack of seats, lack of legroom, the terrible seat layout and poor window to seat alignment. Honestly, they make Azumas look like a golden chariot of fire from a land of milk and honey.

 

[falcon]

Most intersting. Nowhere everywhere is covered in graffiti and tagging, even all the way down to Cornwall. Blight. How has it come to this!

 

[Purple Orange]

Most intersting. Nowhere everywhere is covered in graffiti and tagging, even all the way down to Cornwall. Blight. How has it come to this!

Glad you could join the party.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Glad you could join the party.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Most intersting. Nowhere everywhere is covered in graffiti and tagging, even all the way down to Cornwall. Blight. How has it come to this!

Much of continental Europe is worse than us, even Switzerland and Austria. Not quite as bad as the 90s, but still very scruffy in places.

 

[Purple Orange]

Much of continental Europe is worse than us, even Switzerland and Austria. Not quite as bad as the 90s, but still very scruffy in places.

Yes in some parts of Europe, particularly in Paris, I am amazed at the level of graffiti everywhere, let alone on the railways.

But the subject of European railways got me thinking and to keep the thread going a little more, here is my European take:

Most interesting: The Stockholm underground system, but particularly the stations that still show the bare rock face and are covered in art.

Most nostalgic: Milano Centrale. This is a difficult category, given I can’t quite pick between several locations (mostly German terminus stations). But back to Milan, the scale of the roof arches, the vast public square, the destinations on offer, the location itself. Just a great place to be.

Most boring: The channel tunnel. I love the feat of engineering and the I really like the quality of the eurostar service, the trains and the journey. In fact I find the e320 equally as interesting as the 80X family. However the tunnel itself changes things. After the initial interest of good nag in the tunnel passes, my head starts to drop, my mind begins to switch off, I feel a little wrestless, I need to walk to the onboard shop. I yearn for the other end and the phrase “are we nearly there yet?” comes to mind frequently.

Most hated: Double deck trains. Unnecessarily more cramped than a train needs to be. Poor disabled access. Mostly plastic poor interiors.

 

[Diplodicus]

I still reckon arriving in Venice by train, walking out onto grubby platforms, and on through the main entrance and there you are... The Grand Canal is right n front of you.

 

[Mikey C]

I still reckon arriving in Venice by train, walking out onto grubby platforms, and on through the main entrance and there you are... The Grand Canal is right n front of you.

Definitely the best way to visit Venice for the first time, the causeway itself is amazing, but no other station delivers THAT view outside!

 

[urbophile]

Definitely the best way to visit Venice for the first time, the causeway itself is amazing, but no other station delivers THAT view outside!

Well obviously. Just as you don't expect to see hordes of wildebeest as you leave Torquay station.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Most hated: Double deck trains. Unnecessarily more cramped than a train needs to be. Poor disabled access. Mostly plastic poor interiors.

Swiss IC2000 first class is possibly one of the only exceptions. Though they're currently in for refurbishment after two decades of solid reliable service so I don't know about the new interior.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Well obviously. Just as you don't expect to see hordes of wildebeest as you leave Torquay station.

Torquay has enough wild animals in it already every summer!

 

[Purple Orange]

Swiss IC2000 first class is possibly one of the only exceptions. Though they're currently in for refurbishment after two decades of solid reliable service so I don't know about the new interior.

I suppose it all depends on what they are being used for. The only place in the U.K. would be HS2, but a eurostar type of train seems far more appropriate.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Most boring ever for me was Inverness Aberdeen in first gen DMUs. Hated it. Got nicer when there were 36, 27 and 47 haulage

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Most hated Blackpool North railway station. Hate everything about it

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Most nostalgic Fort William to Mallaig. Just heaven

 

[HowardGWR]

Most intersting. Nowhere everywhere is covered in graffiti and tagging, even all the way down to Cornwall. Blight. How has it come to this!

Affordable individual spray cans? Without those, the bored youth are fairly stymied.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Most interesting - Clapham Junction in the rush hours.

 

[Purple Orange]

Most interesting - Clapham Junction in the rush hours.

Hmmm, the saying “may you live in interesting times” comes to mind with that place.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Hmmm, the saying “may you live in interesting times” comes to mind with that place.

It is just so busy - remember doing it a few times in my spotter days. Bethnal Green was also particularly good too.

 

[Worm]

3 or 4 people on this one page alone hate Voyagers, I must be the only one who likes them . I once travelled 440+ miles over two days on them and didn’t have any complaints, much smoother than the single Sprinter and Pacer I travelled on in the same journeys.

 

[Class800]

Each to their own, but on a long Voyager journey Glasgow to Exeter, I was glad that on that day we had an extended stop at Bristol TM due to a pathing for an engineering diversion via Bath - so everyone could get off the train for 15-20 minutes or so and use station facilities. Trains may have 'service recovery' time but never enough to allow passengers a proper break. Instead of 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, why not one 20 minute or so stop somewhere around half way for stretching of legs and using station toilets, so much better.

 

[Purple Orange]

3 or 4 people on this one page alone hate Voyagers, I must be the only one who likes them . I once travelled 440+ miles over two days on them and didn’t have any complaints, much smoother than the single Sprinter and Pacer I travelled on in the same journeys.

Yes they are more comfortable than a pacer, but they are not up to the standard we see for intercity travel in this country, let alone around the world.

20-30 years ago, HST and IC225 trains were the standard bearers for intercity travel, where XC was part of that cohort. Today it is the 80X and Pendolinos that have taken that mantle, yet XC are no longer part of that group. The Voyagers are too small and too cramped for the job they perform and journeys between Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham require much high capacity trains - the evidence for this is reflected in the plan to have 200m trains travel between these cities on
NPR and HS2.

The 80X units are a fantastic train and I actually enjoy being on one. Personally I hated travelling on an HST and but I didn’t mind them once they were refurbished. I’m also glad they have mostly left the network. Classic look, awful train.

 

[London Trains]

3 or 4 people on this one page alone hate Voyagers, I must be the only one who likes them . I once travelled 440+ miles over two days on them and didn’t have any complaints, much smoother than the single Sprinter and Pacer I travelled on in the same journeys.

Of course they are much better than pacers or sprinters, as they are 30-40 year old commuter trains, which are not comparable. Compared to other long distance trains (Pendolinos, AT300s, even Meridians which are just upgraded Voyagers) they are awful.