TRIVIA/OPINION - Which is the dullest stretch of railway in the British Isles?

[fowler9]

I find the ECML extremely dull for the most part. Also most of the Merseyrail Northern Line from Hunts Cross to Southport. Rather off subject but nothing will ever compare to a 48 hour coach journey from Santa Cruz De La Sierra in Bolivia to Buenos Aires in Argentina. After the first hour of "Oh wow, it is amazing, it seems to go on for ever" it quickly becomes "Oh wow, it really does just go on forever".

 

[route101]

I find the ECML extremely dull for the most part. Also most of the Merseyrail Northern Line from Hunts Cross to Southport. Rather off subject but nothing will ever compare to a 48 hour coach journey from Santa Cruz De La Sierra in Bolivia to Buenos Aires in Argentina. After the first hour of "Oh wow, it is amazing, it seems to go on for ever" it quickly becomes "Oh wow, it really does just go on forever".

The merseyrail lines have never really inspired me , thinks its more to do with the stock , seating arrangement and sameness of it . No variation .

 

[route101]

And if it doesn't, arrival will?

Interesting feature was the steep gradient into Bradford

 

[Midnight Sun]

HS1 between St Pancras and Dagenham

 

[Harbornite]

Settle to Carlisle

Probably worth me clarifying that the quoted post was not serious.

Although one tree lined railway can look like another from the carriage window, I struggle to think of any stretch of line that I would classify as 'dull'.

 

[Harbornite]

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***!

Agreed.

Another poster mentioned the Cross city line, I'd disagree with them regarding the south section as it's a fairly pleasant run alongside the Worcester canal and through the leafy suburbia between Five Ways and Uni stations. You've also got decent industrial/railway sights with the cadbury's factory and disused railway bridge at Bournville, the four track section from Kings Norton to Longbridge and now the Lickey incline.

 

[satisnek]

Funny how opinions can differ so much, i'd say it was the complete opposite lol

I guess it depends whether you're into canals or not

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Derby-Stoke
Peterborough-Leicester-Nuneaton-Birmingham

Just find them so.... boring!

I'd nominate, the whole Birmingham - Peterborough line, especially the Leicester - Stamford section!

Bit harsh on Peterborough - Leicester this. Classic rolling English hills, fertile meadows, streams, charming stations (Stamford/Oakham/Melton), AB signal box working, brief glimpse of Rutland water and plenty of disused trackbed branching off to spot.

On the other hand Nuneaton - Brum is grim, as is Brum - Derby. Flat and unintersting and largely characterless stations, eg Tamworth!

 

[Jonny]

Northern City Line, Drayton Park - Moorgate......

All in a tunnel?

 

[Jonny]

The deep tube lines are also pretty dull...

 

[TRAX]

I don’t mind tunnels, I quite like them. I can even find some interesting !

 

[trash80]

Agreed.

Another poster mentioned the Cross city line, I'd disagree with them regarding the south section as it's a fairly pleasant run alongside the Worcester canal and through the leafy suburbia between Five Ways and Uni stations. You've also got decent industrial/railway sights with the cadbury's factory and disused railway bridge at Bournville, the four track section from Kings Norton to Longbridge and now the Lickey incline.

Yes but the Northern section is dull, apart from when you pass into Staffordshire

 

[GospelOak117]

None of them, because I'm a proper railway fan!

This thread made me realise I've not been on near enough railways. I would say that hackney downs to Liverpool street was not exactly a turn on

Liverpool st to Hackney is fascinating as the city skyline is forever changing and so are the buildings around the railway.

Have to agree with ECML for the most part.

Chiltern/LUL route between Finchley Road and Northwood really bothers me too.

 

[Cambus731]

I disagree with whoever it was who mentioned Ely - Peterbrough as I always find that a pleasant view on a sunny day. And I always find it interesting to see how flooded (or not) the Great Ouse Wash is

 

[tsr]

To add to the ECML comments, I tend to find the bit south of Peterborough to be rather more tedious than north thereof. Immediately north of Peterborough, there are several areas of rolling country on the west side of the railway which are actually quite nice to look at.

Never much been a fan of the GEML between Stratford and the M25.

Wimbledon to Leatherhead is a bit dull.

The view from Tramlink through Beddington Lane is dismal. It's a shame, because Morden Hall Park is largely invisible from the trams, which is actually pretty pleasant.

West Croydon - Sutton, West Norwood - Crystal Palace Tunnel and Redhill - Reigate are all particularly boring bits of suburban railway on the South Central area. Historically all 3 had some interesting quirks, but now they're almost entirely uninspiring. Anything through Streatham is also enough to make anybody weep with boredom.

I tend to find Shalford to Reading quite tedious as well. Also featuring lots of stations which have the potential for a long cold wait with nothing of any entertainment value in the vicinity.

 

[Tio Terry]

Reading the comments here it seems it's a very personal thing and varies widely on what "dull" means to individuals.

I was born and raised in Norfolk, to me the stretches of line between what was Breydon Junction and Reedham or Acle are dull and boring. Very flat and featureless with no trees that grow over six feet high! Only thing of interest is a few cows.

But then, judging from previous comments, some people like the flat lands!

 

[fowler9]

Reading the comments here it seems it's a very personal thing and varies widely on what "dull" means to individuals.

I was born and raised in Norfolk, to me the stretches of line between what was Breydon Junction and Reedham or Acle are dull and boring. Very flat and featureless with no trees that grow over six feet high! Only thing of interest is a few cows.

But then, judging from previous comments, some people like the flat lands!

I'm not a fan of flat of flat landscapes or dense Forrest. However, I loved the train from Kraków to Katowice in the middle of winter. Flat, lots of trees but real deep snow and very atmospheric with a lot of industrial sites.

 

[DJames]

Birmingham to Wolverhampton although I have not done it for a few decades - seemed to be derelict canals and warehouses

That's my local line, and yeah, I'll have to agree. There's not much to see, and I use it so often, the only time I really look out of the windows is to have a glance at Soho depot or to see if there's a 60 or a 66 coming out of the steel terminal at Wolverhampton. It's not really a railway line these days, but the Metro line is just as boring too. You could say the same for pretty much all of the local lines out of Birmingham, though.

 

[urbophile]

The GWML as far as Reading is also pretty rubbish, run-down drab suburb after run-down drab suburb.

Maidenhead is a run down drab suburb?

Birmingham to Wolverhampton although I have not done it for a few decades - seemed to be derelict canals and warehouses

But they are interesting canals and warehouses. Better than bleak characterless fields.

 

[urbophile]

Edge Hill to Liverpool Lime Street not only dull but also dark.

Shame on you! Read Quentin Hughes's evocative description in Seaport. Though you could say that the southern stretch of Merseyrail Northern Line is somewhat frustrating: practically all of it in tunnel or in cuttings.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Maidenhead is a run down drab suburb?

OK, for the brief period of passing through Maidenhead it's not too bad. But the rest of it...OOC, Ealing, Slough....it's just dump after dump, with the paint flaking off the stations and the signs with several generations of branding vinyl along the bottom. Dull, depressing and horrible.

 

[Vinnym]

Shame on you! Read Quentin Hughes's evocative description in Seaport. Though you could say that the southern stretch of Merseyrail Northern Line is somewhat frustrating: practically all of it in tunnel or in cuttings.

I am entitled to my opinion just the same as you are, no shame in that.

 

[Calthrop]

OK, for the brief period of passing through Maidenhead it's not too bad. But the rest of it...OOC, Ealing, Slough....it's just dump after dump, with the paint flaking off the stations and the signs with several generations of branding vinyl along the bottom. Dull, depressing and horrible.

I seem to recall that some eighty years ago, John Betjeman wasn't too keen on Slough either .

 

[Pigeon]

The best thing about going through Slough on the train is that all you get to experience of it is the station, which is, basically, like, a station, and you miss all the actual town which is what Betjeman was (accurately) complaining about.

 

[GrimShady]

Cathcart Circle.

Anything near Hull or London!

 

[Ianno87]

Cathcart Circle.

Anything near Hull or London!

The Humber estuary ain't dull!

 

[GrimShady]

The Humber estuary ain't dull!

We'll have to totally disagree on that one. Not all bad though, it does have one good part....the UP line

 

[6Gman]

OK, for the brief period of passing through Maidenhead it's not too bad. But the rest of it...OOC, Ealing, Slough....it's just dump after dump, with the paint flaking off the stations and the signs with several generations of branding vinyl along the bottom. Dull, depressing and horrible.

Red Kites.

 

[6Gman]

The worse part of the ECML is that three track section north of Huntingdon, which seems to go on forever and eternity.

I always found, especially as a child, the section between Didcot and Swindon particularly painful. Even today on the way back to London I find it pretty soul destroying when I just want to get home.

Also, the section between Rhode and Rugby seems as long as the entire WCML. Especially in Video 125’s “Royal Scott” DVD

I took a trip last year down to Southampton on the SWML and found that to be surprisingly uninspiring.

The main benefit of a Pendolino is that Rugby to Hanslope passes more quickly.

 

[Ken H]

People go on about the Settle-Carlisle line, Which has some spendid views. My favourite bit is between Garsdale and K Stephen through Mallerstang, Even has a castle (Pendragon)!
Do it on a winters evening sometime. Then you get the feeling of real remoteness. I used to catch a train late sunday afternoons in Feb 1992 to Carlisle. Doing the run in a dimly lit Mk1 corridor coach in the dark was something else!

But rarely do people talk about the views from the WCML between Lancaster and Penrith. Views across Morecambe Bay, The Lune Gorge, the views of the Howgills between Greyrigg and Tebay.