Mcr Warrior
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Worst Railway Journeys in the UK
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zwk500
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Bletchleyite
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Certainly, but I can't recall one of the mainlines where you sit watching that for well over two hours, even if the WCML might "feature" a bit of it on the short section through Birmingham.
The Atherton Line I think I mentioned above as one of the worst because it does pretty much only feature this sort of scenery (and trees blocking any other views), and Greenford isn't much better.
The south ECML isn't awful - it's just like a typical north German mainline or something - it's just a bit boring compared to the WCML!
John Griffiths
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When it gets into Hertfordshire it is a bit hilly and viaducty, not to mention all the New Towns.
Awwww... I have a soft spot for that route. Brings back many happy memories of when we still lived in Reading and were heading to Tate Modern or to meet with friends, etc. We always had coffee & bacon butties (from the Costalot Coffee outlet at Reading Station) en route to Waterloo and a bottle of wine from Waterloo M&S en route home. I rather liked all the stations ('Winnersh Triangle, look at it from my angle'
) and the bit where the line crosses the Thames, and there was always a frisson of excitement as to whether the train would stop at Longcross. Happy days!!I like the approaches to Kings Cross, Liverpool Lime St and Glasgow Queen St cos of the tunnels. Even Brum New St has its tunnels.
Okay so here is an I Spy list for next time you come this way:
1) rolling stock at Birkenhead North
2) Hoylake station: Grade 2 listed
3) River/sea views-esp. New Brighton branch
4) views of Liverpool waterfront and ships being repaired/built-Hooton branch
5) Port Sunlight model village
and finally the Borderlands line has views across to North Wales that you cannot get elsewhere because it runs closer to the border than the road. Difficult to see how you missed this??
Bletchleyite
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West and central/south Wirral is lovely and posh. Birkenhead isn't, but Birkenhead only takes up some of the Wirral. I'd certainly live there.
Definitely not i hate tunnels , they affect my ear pressure really bad
I would say that’s not quite the worst possible, it could have been a 150.
I know you can’t polish a ****, but TFW have done their best to make those 153s bearable with the refit.
In fact, the worst rail journey ever was going anywhere in a pacer with bus seats. I’ve lost count of the number of horrible hours I spent on those bouncing down the Calder Valley. It was just so random, you could either get that monstrosity or a really pleasant 158 from Leeds to Man Vic, absolute despair when the pacer showed up!
Beaten by the pacers with the Merseyrail seats. The bus seat ones were the Orient Express in comparison.
Goldfish62
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Agreed!
Mcr Warrior
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The debate about Pacers and their idiosyncratic ride quality has probably been "done to death" over the years, but have always wondered just how big the uproar would have been had such rolling stock ever been allowed to operate anywhere near London and the Home Counties.
andythebrave
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I do have to admit that I loved my occasional Pacer rides from Preston to Rufford back in the day; nice big windows and a sense of going back in time.
Why does that happen in air conditioned vehicles?
Goldfish62
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Only in non-pressurised vehicles. Doesn't happen in Pendolinos, 800s, Eurostar, for example.
Amos
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Do you not have to pass an entrance interview first?
Goldfish62
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Reading - Basingstoke. Totally dull.
I think any journey in the dark is quite unpleasant. Nothing to to be seen out of the windows due to glare from ultra bright lighting inside modern trains. There’s not much to recommend coach travel over rail apart from 2 things I can think of.
1. You always have a seat.
2. when travelling in the dark the lights are dimmed and it’s actually quite relaxing.
Come GWR, dim the lights a bit between stations!
I must not have had the pleasure of one of those, sounds like I would have remembered it if I had.
Now running a pacer AS the Orient Express sounds like it could be interesting. Bargain basement so a bag of chips on your lap rather than the silver service whilst bouncing across Europe.
1. You always have a seat.
2. when travelling in the dark the lights are dimmed and it’s actually quite relaxing.
Come GWR, dim the lights a bit between stations!
I must not have had the pleasure of one of those, sounds like I would have remembered it if I had.Now running a pacer AS the Orient Express sounds like it could be interesting. Bargain basement so a bag of chips on your lap rather than the silver service whilst bouncing across Europe.
BeijingDave
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I enjoy any new line, and I also like a bit of urban decay.
Manchester-Stalybridge (both routes) are good in this regard because I rarely travel on them. I like seeing Ardwick, and the remains of Miles Platting station.
I really don't enjoy Chester-Liverpool (Wirral Line) due to the constant stop-start every few minutes, and the scenery is largely boring (although that may be because it's so familiar, although Port Sunlight is nice). I would add to that any similar journey (many similar stations in quick succession, with no faster option).
Manchester-Stalybridge (both routes) are good in this regard because I rarely travel on them. I like seeing Ardwick, and the remains of Miles Platting station.
I really don't enjoy Chester-Liverpool (Wirral Line) due to the constant stop-start every few minutes, and the scenery is largely boring (although that may be because it's so familiar, although Port Sunlight is nice). I would add to that any similar journey (many similar stations in quick succession, with no faster option).
Joey Beauchamp
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I'd rather see the urban degradation! Find it endlessly fascinating.
I find it fascinating too, but I guess the train offers an escape to the daily urban filth.railfan99
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Exactly. I was scratching y head before I came across your correction.
'Tunnels' suggest 'hilly country' that has many trees and hence can be very scenically attractive. So when one emerges, terrific.
Well there is an alternative, albeit only once every two hours. With the benefit of Welsh language announcements. And better views.
BurtonM
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Not much to see there now, since all the Transpennine OHLE gantries were put up.
12LDA28C
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It was always nice back in the day travelling in the dusk/dark on a set of air-cons with a non-ETS loco on the front which meant the lights sometimes went out in the coach due to the batteries being weak. You could actually see out of the window then.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Better designed lighting can deal with this, i.e. subdued uplighting for the general lighting, spots in the aisle and personal reading lights over the seats. It's amazing how little effort goes into the design of train lighting.
The most stupid design of lighting is putting it above the windows, as some European stock does.
D6130
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It was even better travelling in Mark 1 compartment stock, in which you could surreptitiously unscrew the lightbulbs!
Fully agree! TGVs, Eurostar, etc.
12LDA28C
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Indeed. Even if you didn't do that there was a bright/dim switch for the lights as I recall.
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