Which railway lines are the least used in this country?

[PP57601]

Coombe no.1 GF - Coombe Halt ?

 

[Bald Rick]

How are we defining ‘used’? Or for that matter, ‘line’?

 

[Iskra]

Least Used and Least Profitable are not necessarily exactly correlative, but I suspect the total passenger numbers on the Brigg, Far North, West Highland and Heart of Wales lines will take some beating.

There’s no way that the West Highland Line falls into that category when it’s running 7 carriage trains that are busy, and a sleeper train. If instead you mean the West Highland Extension, I’d suggest that if Jacobite passengers were included even that wouldn’t be near the bottom of the list.

 

[Vanmanyo]

Surely the least used railway lines would be those which are mothballed and haven't seen trains in years such as the line to Ironbridge or Portishead which are both still owned by the Rail Authority.

 

[NSE]

How are we defining ‘used’? Or for that matter, ‘line’?

And that’s another point. NR lines don’t sit like tube ones, services venture down many lines. The ECML is incredibly well used, do we count the pax from The Highland Chieftain as ECML pax or Highland Mainline ones for example.

Its an interesting question nonetheless.

 

[Essan]

There’s no way that the West Highland Line falls into that category when it’s running 7 carriage trains that are busy, and a sleeper train. If instead you mean the West Highland Extension, I’d suggest that if Jacobite passengers were included even that wouldn’t be near the bottom of the list.

In the summer, daytime (Scotrail) trains on the Mallaig extension are often standing room only. The early morning and late night trains a different matter, especially in winter.

 

[The Mercian]

Helsby to Ellesmere Port must be up there.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Helsby to Ellesmere Port must be up there.

Aren't there a couple of daily Northern workings, each way, SuX, over that particular section of line? Certainly will keep the rust off!

 

[Jan Mayen]

Dorking to Horsham has to be a very strong contender. That line is always extremely quiet. I have had at least ten occasions now over the years where i have had the entire train to myself for the whole journey. There is rarely more than ten people onboard. You might get twenty maximum on some rare occassions. Even during peak times i have had extremely quiet trains with just a couple others onboard. So even the peak trains are quiet. I use this line regularly and i think it has to be a contender for the least used line in the country. It has always baffled me why it gets such poor usage considering it gets an hourly service and links two major towns.

I last travelled on that line (well, Horsham to Holmwood, anyway) was on 29 March to see if the Permit to Travel machine was still there.
It was, as you ask, but not working.

 

[The Mercian]

Aren't there a couple of daily Northern workings, each way, SuX, over that particular section of line? Certainly will keep the rust off!

There are. Must admit I’d read the “least used” as passengers actually using trains as opposed to trains on lines. The Helsby/EP service though is notoriously unreliable and I was more than shocked when “ticking off” Ince and Elton station that it actually turned up.

 

[Grumpy]

The new 20-mile Bletchley-Bicester line must be a very poor performer at the moment, with no revenue-earning trains 8 months after it was declared open for traffic.
Some Chiltern ECS and light loco workings are evident today, presumably road-learning trains.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...25-06-09/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

With signalling from Rugby, operating costs will at least be low.

It was reported as costing £760m. Given interest on new Government borrowing costs over 5% pa then it is costing the taxpayer approx £800k/week in interest alone. To sit there unused.

 

[thedbdiboy]

Dorking to Horsham has to be a very strong contender. That line is always extremely quiet. I have had at least ten occasions now over the years where i have had the entire train to myself for the whole journey. There is rarely more than ten people onboard. You might get twenty maximum on some rare occassions. Even during peak times i have had extremely quiet trains with just a couple others onboard. So even the peak trains are quiet. I use this line regularly and i think it has to be a contender for the least used line in the country. It has always baffled me why it gets such poor usage considering it gets an hourly service and links two major towns.

I suspect it's poorly-used mainly because it runs through an area of extremely high car ownership. Intermediate stations are virtually halts and the journey from London/Croydon to Horsham is far quicker via Gatwick.

It is of course the old Victoria - Portsmouth main line, but the growth of Croydon, Gatwick and Crawley resulted in the progressive diversion of through services. It was seriously considered for closure in the 80s. Although it avoided that fate it is never going to trouble the overcrowding statistics based on locally-generated traffic

 

[The exile]

It was reported as costing £760m. Given interest on new Government borrowing costs over 5% pa then it is costing the taxpayer approx £800k/week in interest alone. To sit there unused.

Though of course if any passenger services using it require subsidy...

 

[Howardh]

How are we defining ‘used’? Or for that matter, ‘line’?

There must be a lot of sidings, still attached to the main lines, which haven't had a train on it for years. I'm sure I've seen some rusting away on the Bolton to Manchester line, I'll have a proper look!

So in the spirit of the thread I wonder what is the longest time a rail siding, still attached to a "proper" line, has stood there unused? Maybe one that could still be used (perhaps in emergency)?

 

[A S Leib]

My experience of the Far North is that it’s empty and a complete waste of time North of Dingwall. I was only 1 of 3 passengers until Dingwall on my return from Wick. Obviously, it’s got its defenders on here but it’s incredibly wasteful. However, if the Scottish government is happy to fund it then that’s all that matters really.

Apart from the negative impact of closing any railway, I wonder if delays to dualling the A9 have made the Scottish government reluctant to reduce options for Highland to Central Belt travel, even if a bus to Inverness and trains south of there might be cheaper and quicker.

How profitable is Reedham to Great Yarmouth? I'm sure there are some people who visit for the novelty of Berney Arms station alone, but I can't imagine Greater Anglia / DfT's finances would be significantly worsened, if not improved, by its closure. On the other hand, it's a six-mile line with twenty (regular passenger) trains per week; is more money spent on ensuring that e.g. Ipswich to Lowestoft has an hourly service?

 

[bunnahabhain]

Cleethorpes to Barton has to be up there especially with the frequency of trains it gets.

 

[InkyScrolls]

There must be a lot of sidings, still attached to the main lines, which haven't had a train on it for years. I'm sure I've seen some rusting away on the Bolton to Manchester line, I'll have a proper look!

So in the spirit of the thread I wonder what is the longest time a rail siding, still attached to a "proper" line, has stood there unused? Maybe one that could still be used (perhaps in emergency)?

I don't know about the recent unused... But Crossley Evans Siding in Shipley is still in situ and with functioning signalling, but hasn't seen a train since 2015 (I believe)? The scrapyard it serves doesn't even exist anymore.

 

[steamybrian]

Heysham Port branch carries only one passenger train per day each way to connect with the IOM ferry. I do not know what freight traffic uses the line?

 

[sad1e]

Brentford dock branch sees one freight a week if it's lucky if I remember correctly. No idea the last time it saw passenger use.

The Acton northolt line (new north mainline) is still officially open although severed at Friars Jn. No idea last time that saw a regular train. Freight or passenger.

The Dudding hill freight only line , still has quite a large amount of freight on it almost every day but the last time it saw a regular passenger service was pre WW1.

All decent contenders of you ask me.