Saddest Sights on the Railways (Trivia)

bnc2018 · 12 Jun 2026

Not a sight per se but the saddest thought for me about the railways at the moment is that we're around at a time when the government is able (albeit not very happy about it) to spend £102bn on a single railway project and all we get to show for it is 140 miles of railway...

The thought of what we could build for all that money if we had construction prices anything like what they have in say France is deeply saddening

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yorksrob · 12 Jun 2026

bnc2018 said:
Not a sight per se but the saddest thought for me about the railways at the moment is that we're around at a time when the government is able (albeit not very happy about it) to spend £102bn on a single railway project and all we get to show for it is 140 miles of railway...

The thought of what we could build for all that money if we had construction prices anything like what they have in say France is deeply saddening

Even looking at Okehampton, Blythe , EW rail, Borders, Ebbw Vale....

Marty_P · 17 Jun 2026

Weeds and overgrown vegetation everywhere.

Recessio · 17 Jun 2026

Marty_P said:
Weeds and overgrown vegetation everywhere.

I think this varies depending on when you compare it to in the past, and where. Some places are pretty bad nowadays (eg Nine Elms to Waterloo viaduct has more buddleia than bricks), but I've seen some 90s footage of the North London Line and it's much better now than it was back then.

ic31420 · 17 Jun 2026

Narrowgauge725 said:
Bimodes running on diesel under wires

That but also freights running hauled by diesels under the wires for the majority of the journey.

birchesgreen said:
A platform heaving with commuters standing in the rain and cold just wanting to get home, and a rusty 2 car Sprinter turns up.

I was going to add a crowded packed 2 car dmu turning up, possibly already full, to serve a platform full of passengers all wanting to give the railway their money and travel while other sit in a traffic jam on the same journey and the railway saying we can't afford more carriages.

It's a damning indictment of the railway finances and costs.

A personal one.... The pleora of tickets, prices and various restrictions when contemplating a journey. It's a real turn off to rail travel.

Marty_P · 17 Jun 2026

Recessio said:
I think this varies depending on when you compare it to in the past, and where. Some places are pretty bad nowadays (eg Nine Elms to Waterloo viaduct has more buddleia than bricks), but I've seen some 90s footage of the North London Line and it's much better now than it was back then.

Yes you’re probably right - basing my comment on visits to UK and what I see on Railcam views, Youtube vids etc. compared to the UK I grew up in during the 50s and 60s. The Crewe cameras on Railcam make it look like a jungle.

Loonatic · 18 Jun 2026

Saddest sight for me is an abandoned/unused railway.

yorksrob · 18 Jun 2026

Loonatic said:
Saddest sight for me is an abandoned/unused railway.

Particularly decent sized towns and villages next to an empty track bed.

Mcr Warrior · 18 Jun 2026

Rescars said:
Across the network, sad sights are the visible remains of closed and lifted lines branching off to follow forgotten routes to destinations now only accessible by other means.

In a similar vein, old B+W photos of track lifting in progress at various locations around the country, which many years later, are now scarcely recognizable as ever having had a working railway.

DM352 · 25 Jul 2026

Shorter diesel rolling stock in areas served outside of London once having first gen rolling stock. Granted, those longer first gen trains ran less frequent.

Over the top infrastructure rationalisation like the singling that happened mid 80's not limited to the Uckfield and Penistone lines. In some cases, capacity restoration is limited by the building of new platforms on the ex running line trackbed or replacement bridges being single track for lines that may otherwise benefit some future capacity enhancement.

Lucan · 26 Jul 2026

Housing built on former goods yards.

ox_chap · 26 Jul 2026

Seeing completely rammed 4 or 5 car Cross Country trains leaving Oxford. What sort of message does that give, especially to visitors from overseas?

S101 · 27 Jul 2026

Marty_P said:
Weeds and overgrown vegetation everywhere.

Yep. Sheffield is a disgrace. The state of the retaining wall along platform 8. Before the end of my railway career, I'm probably going to see the wall collapse and a tram sitting in platform 8. It's no better abroad though on the nationalised network, so don't expect it to get better under GBR..... Currently in Italy, and it's, erm, probably worse.

Tetragon213 · 27 Jul 2026

When it comes to historical sights, anything involving disasters. Twisted wreckage, telescoped coaches, mangled frames, and the knowledge that peoples' lives possibly ended in there; it's a truly sobering thought.

Extant sights, it's got to be the sight of where a buffer stop ends with a disused railway behind it; particularly, lines which we could sorely use in the modern day to relieve road congestion. Yet another reason to want to spit on the grave of a certain corrupt transport minister...

Mcr Warrior · 27 Jul 2026

Lucan said:
Housing built on former goods yards.

Is that such a bad thing? Perhaps better than leaving it as a weed-strewn wasteland if it's never going to of use again by the railway.

yorksrob · 31 Jul 2026

The old pre-Beeching railway map in Sussex.

We've mentioned closures before, and many areas have had their railway networks destroyed, but there's something about the pre-Beeching network of Sussex that was so well laid out (almost dentritic) and built with fine, well designed stations, together with the fact that the towns it linked would find it incredibly useful now.

The current railway in the county is a mere husk of its former self.

Cricketer8for9 · 31 Jul 2026

If Sussex (with frequent trains to Brighton, to the Coast west and east of Brighton) is a mere husk what might be said about some other counties?

yorksrob · 31 Jul 2026

Cricketer8for9 said:
If Sussex (with frequent trains to Brighton, to the Coast west and east of Brighton) is a mere husk what might be said about some other counties?

A shadow ?

Scouseinmanc · 31 Jul 2026

For me, it’s has to be demolition & dismantling of railway infrastructure.
The absolute haste in removing any indication that there ever was a railway, back in the 60s & 70s is heartbreaking.
It almost comes across as rather spiteful.
An example would be the Southport to Preston railway, closed in 1964. Within weeks, stations, bridges & embankments had been completely removed. Ensuring there was no way of reinstatement in the future.
At least other countries had the gumption to mothball their closed lines..
I’ve seen a very sad photo of mangled roof ironwork & the remains of a decorative wooden booking office, in between the platforms at Woodside in Birkenhead, during its demolition in Oct 68. With an old sign on the wall behind, directing passengers (no more) to the Refreshment room & other conveniences on platform 5. It was the only listed railway station in Merseyside at the time of closure & demolition..

InTheEastMids · 31 Jul 2026

Three simple words:

East
Midlands
Railway

yorksrob · 31 Jul 2026

InTheEastMids said:
Three simple words:

East
Midlands
Railway

Particularly since up until the early 2020's, it was far and away the most comfortable, relaxing way to get between London and Yorkshire.

WesternLancer · 31 Jul 2026

yorksrob said:
The old pre-Beeching railway map in Sussex.

We've mentioned closures before, and many areas have had their railway networks destroyed, but there's something about the pre-Beeching network of Sussex that was so well laid out (almost dentritic) and built with fine, well designed stations, together with the fact that the towns it linked would find it incredibly useful now.

The current railway in the county is a mere husk of its former self.

Very well put.

I was talking to a chap the other day who recalled taking the train in his early childhood from Horam to Eastbourne. Steam hauled.

yorksrob · 31 Jul 2026

WesternLancer said:
Very well put.

I was talking to a chap the other day who recalled taking the train in his early childhood from Horam to Eastbourne. Steam hauled.

Bliss - although a thumper for me (if I could have gone back)!

Rescars · 1 Aug 2026

Cricketer8for9 said:
If Sussex (with frequent trains to Brighton, to the Coast west and east of Brighton) is a mere husk what might be said about some other counties?

yorksrob said:
A shadow ?

In Kircudbrightshire it is perhaps better described as a vacuum!

milooo · 2 Aug 2026

As previously said in this thread when a person ends up in front of a train is never something nice to see. Nor is the aftermath, for example at an incident that I will not go into there was a police officer who had was standing on the tracks and leaning against the platform with his head in his hands. The white plastic bags are also very saddening at such instances.

EYFanatic · 2 Aug 2026

I must concur with my learned colleagues here when mentioning one unders

I have seen a few - including the act thereof - and the one that sticks in my mind is being held for nearly two hours at Luton on the Midland and being told of a suicide up ahead. We were the first ones through at Kettering afterwards and as we pulled in, they were wheeling what was left up the ramp at the end of the London bound platform. Its not that that sticks in my mind but more that the person who was sharing my table in first class (travelling standard but was with a wheelchair user) noticed that the deceased was wearing something on their wrist that identified them as Catholic. Quick as a flash, he jumped up, spoke to the train manager and we stayed a few moments extra as he grabbed a bag, hurried over to the other side and give the deceased Last Rites before jumping over back to our train and sitting down.

Me: Father, I thought Catholics thought suicide a sin

Priest: Yes, but it takes a brave man to end it that way and he deserves mercy from the Lord Above

And then me, my companion and the priest then had a whiskey each and just sat in silence

Deepgreen · 3 Aug 2026

On the third rail network, fried badgers, foxes, etc.

Jamesrob637 · 3 Aug 2026

Pre-2020 Nissan Puke infested car parks, though to counter that you do get some amazing vehicles.

bigmanaiq · 3 Aug 2026

Has anybody mentioned the Great Northern 313s in their twilight? It had got to a point where it seemed like GN had just given up and stopped caring, and seeing trains which seemed like they were everywhere you looked on suburban lines in the capital look so tatty - often with parts of the paint on the carriages fully faded and whitewashed was quite sad really

BurtonM · 3 Aug 2026

What, exactly like Northern 150s are now?

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