Saddest Sights on the Railways (Trivia)

[Sad Sprinter]

GWR’s all-over dark vegetable green has to be the most depressing livery in use. I remember the feeling of utter gloom it gave me when I first saw it and thinking how it made IETs look like cucumbers

Whichever playschool won the GBR livery design competition will have been delighted, but let’s hope that sad mess is quietly forgotten.

SWR and Thameslink are bland, not tacky, IMO, as is Avanti. I am in a minority by disliking LNER- I think it’s livery is dull and I think it’s naff trying to name yourself after a defunct company. (“Great Western” is geographically descriptive).

I don’t like the LNER livery either. You also have the farce of intercity trains being called LNER and suburban trains being called Great Northern…

The GWR livery is okay for a few seconds then it does get dull. Looks good on the Electrostars and the 125s though.

 

[sk688]

the derelict sheds at duddeston looked incredibly sad, added to the general run-down appearance of the station and the lines out of New Street up to Aston

 

[thenorthern]

My mum always used to say the stations which were rebuilt when the West Coast Main Line was electrified in the 1960s and 1970s.

She specifically mentioned Congleton station which I think was rebuilt in 1967. She mentioned how they are ugly brutalist buildings which are full of Asbestos and cost a lot to heat. They were built at a time when energy was cheap and global warming wasn't a major issue. Also they knocked down the victorian buildings which looked nicer.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

My mum always used to say the stations which were rebuilt when the West Coast Main Line was electrified in the 1960s and 1970s.

She specifically mentioned Congleton station which I think was rebuilt in 1967. She mentioned how they are ugly brutalist buildings which are full of Asbestos and cost a lot to heat. They were built at a time when energy was cheap and global warming wasn't a major issue. Also they knocked down the victorian buildings which looked nicer.

I think the brutalist stations look almost nice in black and white photographs when new, but soul-destroying in reality. I seriously hate brutalism, whether it’s railway stations or the dreary, hopeless council blocks. I do hope one day we can get rid of these buildings on the railway and rebuild them with Victorian replicas.

 

[43074]

I don’t like the LNER livery either. You also have the farce of intercity trains being called LNER and suburban trains being called Great Northern…

How does this qualify as a 'farce'?

 

[The Planner]

How does this qualify as a 'farce'?

It doesn't, names of operators and colour schemes are noise in the background essentially.

 

[The exile]

The general state of many stations around the network being allowed to deteriorate to rack and ruin.

Not intended as a criticism - but are you old enough to remember what a lot of places were like in the late 1970s to mid 1980s?

 

[Sad Sprinter]

How does this qualify as a 'farce'?

It doesn't, names of operators and colour schemes are noise in the background essentially.

Oh come on, if you actually care about this kind of stuff (which I assume we all do here since we’re railway enthusiasts) having two train services named after the former railway names and two points in history, does seem somewhat farcical.

 

[The exile]

Oh come on, if you actually care about this kind of stuff (which I assume we all do here since we’re railway enthusiasts) having two train services named after the former railway names and two points in history, does seem somewhat farcical.

Seem perfectly sensible names to me. Better than “One”!

 

[Zomboid]

I'm sure we all know the history, but it's just a bit of historically based branding. They're actually quite descriptive when you know the history.

I'd say "Southern" only referring to the old LBSCR routes is worse, but it's still far from a farce.

 

[John Luxton]

GWR’s all-over dark vegetable green has to be the most depressing livery in use. I remember the feeling of utter gloom it gave me when I first saw it and thinking how it made IETs look like cucumbers

Whichever playschool won the GBR livery design competition will have been delighted, but let’s hope that sad mess is quietly forgotten.

Strange I find GWR one of the best Liveries - I really like dark green as for the GBR Livery its awful! But I guess it is all down to personal preference.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I'm sure we all know the history, but it's just a bit of historically based branding. They're actually quite descriptive when you know the history.

I'd say "Southern" only referring to the old LBSCR routes is worse, but it's still far from a farce.

Yes One was insane.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 May 2026 ==

I'm sure we all know the history, but it's just a bit of historically based branding. They're actually quite descriptive when you know the history.

I'd say "Southern" only referring to the old LBSCR routes is worse, but it's still far from a farce.

I agree about Southern. Given there’s a South Eastern and a South Western. Going back to South Centtal would be most intuitive

 

[The exile]

I agree about Southern. Given there’s a South Eastern and a South Western. Going back to South Centtal would be most intuitive

Assuming areas covered remain basically the same, the best thing to do with names is leave them as they are.

 

[Rescars]

I agree about Southern. Given there’s a South Eastern and a South Western. Going back to South Centtal would be most intuitive

"London Brighton and South Coast" would still be pretty accurate. Surely 21st century designers could come up with a cheery livery based on Stroudley's Improved Engine Green!

 

[Sad Sprinter]

"London Brighton and South Coast" would still be pretty accurate. Surely 21st century designers could come up with a cheery livery based on Stroudley's Improved Engine Green!

Ah but then enthusiasts would then rightly call for the renaming of South Eastern to South Eastern & Chatham!

Chiltern should, ideally, be called Great Central. Yes I know it takes up some of the former GWR system too.

 

[fastesttofu]

Along with the various subjects mentioned already, I'd say vandalism on trains is quite sad to see.

 

[43074]

Ah but then enthusiasts would then rightly call for the renaming of South Eastern to South Eastern & Chatham!

Chiltern should, ideally, be called Great Central. Yes I know it takes up some of the former GWR system too.

Chiltern is a far better brand for the routes and markets they serve than Great Central, the fact it was part of GCR over 100 years ago is utterly irrelevant.

 

[Recessio]

Along with the various subjects mentioned already, I'd say vandalism on trains is quite sad to see.

It's gotten a bit worse in the last few years admittedly, but I think generally stations and rolling stock are in a lot better nick than the dog days of BR

 

[Forty29]

Graffiti on Victorian built structure's like bridges and large walls like going into Euston is a real eye sore.

 

[yorksrob]

My mum always used to say the stations which were rebuilt when the West Coast Main Line was electrified in the 1960s and 1970s.

She specifically mentioned Congleton station which I think was rebuilt in 1967. She mentioned how they are ugly brutalist buildings which are full of Asbestos and cost a lot to heat. They were built at a time when energy was cheap and global warming wasn't a major issue. Also they knocked down the victorian buildings which looked nicer.

I quite like Stafford though.

On the Southern in particular, lots of ugly CLASP type buildings replacing attractive Victorian stations (Wokingham etc).

Normanton looks quite sad bereft of buildings - apart from the fact that it probably has more passengers than at any time in its history (except perhaps for when the Victorians had to get off there for a poo).

 

[YorkshireBear]

Mine would be the new ole foundations north of York, some with mast some without and the huge amount of new track and OLE equipment being swallowed up by weeds after the project was cancelled part way through.

 

[Rescars]

Ah but then enthusiasts would then rightly call for the renaming of South Eastern to South Eastern & Chatham!

.....unless SER enthusiasts would wish to have absolutely nothing to do with presumably unmentionable LC&D!!

 

[satisnek]

Basically the entire national network.

The many miles of double track line which used to be quadruple, particularly in the north of England (see Don Coffey's video material).

The plain line where there used to be a siding connection within living memory.

Urban routes lined with graffiti which has gone unchecked for 40 years. Or, where it has been painted over, a structure which had stood proud for 150 years is now permanently scarred.

The dystopian world of unstaffed stations with bare, open platforms, ticket machines and CCTV cameras which we have sleepwalked into.

And so on, and so on.

 

[Dougal2345]

I don't know its current condition or even location, but the preserved APT at Crewe looked seriously sad with its faded paintwork. Hardly an advert for past UK rail innovation.

At least it survives - one of the saddest railway things I saw, when I was a youngster, was a TV programme showing an APT being smashed up in a scrapyard - I can't remember it all that well, but I think someone was smashing the windows from the inside with a sledgehammer... it's probably on YouTube somewhere but not sure I want to re-live it! Britain's super-train, which I'd pored over in the Hornby catalogue, being destroyed before I ever saw it...

 

[ian1944]

The result of many a track rationalisation, in particulat at the east end of Newcastle. Those crossings were a work of art.

 

[yorksrob]

Ah but then enthusiasts would then rightly call for the renaming of South Eastern to South Eastern & Chatham!

I'm sure I've suggested that previously on this forum.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 May 2026 ==

For me, the saddest sight is probably seeing all the trains at Leeds going to their many and varied destinations.

On a work day.

 

[D6130]

Normanton looks quite sad bereft of buildings - apart from the fact that it probably has more passengers than at any time in its history (except perhaps for when the Victorians had to get off there for a poo).

....and a three course lunch. All in the course of a twenty minute stop, IIRC!

 

[yorksrob]

....and a three course lunch. All in the course of a twenty minute stop, IIRC!

I'm sure I could manage it

 

[Sean Emmett]

GWR’s all-over dark vegetable green has to be the most depressing livery in use. I remember the feeling of utter gloom it gave me when I first saw it and thinking how it made IETs look like cucumbers

Whichever playschool won the GBR livery design competition will have been delighted, but let’s hope that sad mess is quietly forgotten.

There's more green than the Southern.

On the 9 cars at least, leave the end vehicles in green, add a bit of lining out, and paint the middle vehicles in chocolate and cream...

 

[stantheman]

Perth station . What a dump to the ordinary passenger