Closest unvisited railway line

[Purple Train]

I suspect that the closest for me is Reading-Basingstoke, which I should be doing in late November assuming there aren't any strikes.

 

[drb61]

I think I've travelled over all the passenger lines in Scotland apart from the Thornton W - Thornton N curve, which for many years only carried a peak hour service (and possibly still does). Should be much easier to get that once the Levenmouth service starts!

 

[Techniquest]

For a long time, I had all the track in the UK on the passenger network done. After the curve out of Newport towards Ebbw Vale opened, I had that as a gap for absolutely ages. I got the Elizabeth line in London done before a much more local curve! Then Barking Riverside opened, and to be honest I forgot about it until I was asked if I'd done it on my recent London trip. So it had to be done, and to the best of knowledge the mainline network is all done again.

Soon though, when they open, the new bits at each end of the core of the Elizabeth line will be wanted. After those, and yes I plan to be there ASAP after they open, then I'll be waiting for Levenmouth to open!

If we include non-passenger track, then that is completely different. I'm not as bothered about that, given the extreme amounts asked for by the charter companies and the other costs (hotels, positioning moves etc). In all four directions from Hereford, they fall to Moreton-on-Lugg's terminal. I've been past it many times, and rode past the freight terminal on a cycle ride many times, but never on the freight line. I don't think I'm missing much! South of Hereford, it used to be Cwm Bargoed but I believe that has now closed, so it's now Machen. To the east, then it's the Long Marston branch. To the west, then that falls to those non-passenger lines (I don't know if they're even open) out of Tondu on the Maesteg branch.

Heritage lines are different again. My nearest on that front is Toddington to Broadway on the Glos-Warks line. I was going to do that a few weeks ago, the short story is that I ended up branching off when I had rode most of the way there, instead choosing the better idea of cycling up and over the Cotswolds instead! The rest of the line I did back when there was a 20 on the line, I seem to remember the gala I went to was rather good fun and the line didn't extend past Toddington at the time.

 

[AM9]

Living in St Albans, I've never been on the Hertford Loop, Nor the Northern Line north of Finchley Central. When I lived in Cosham and Fareham, I didn't get to travel on the Brockenhurst to Lymington, Barnham to Bognor or the E-W chord of the Railway Triangle between Bedhampton and Cosham.

 

[nw1]

Failing that, you could always get hold of an old copy of a Baker Rail Atlas, together with a multi-pack of differently coloured felt tip pens!

True, but just interested whether the software exists.

Yes, I remember the Baker atlases. Had one back in the day, the 1984 edition (green). Think I still have it somewhere. Just before many of the 1980s reopenings, but with only one (I think) forthcoming closure, the Groombridge line. So would have been close to the smallest network we ever had in modern times.

 

[nr758123]

Shaw to Rochdale, if I'm allowed railway lines now converted to Metrolink. Otherwise, the Todmorden Curve.

 

[Ken H]

Shaw to Rochdale, if I'm allowed railway lines now converted to Metrolink. Otherwise, the Todmorden Curve.

You raise an interesting conundrum. I have done Bury - Manchester, and also Manchester to Altrincham on the Metrolink and also in BR days.

 

[dcsprior]

closest unvisited railway line

It depends what counts as a "railway line"

If you mean a section of line, then I've never been on the bit of passenger line closest to my house (under a mile away) - my closest station is Shawfair, and I've travelled between there and Edinburgh and connected for further destinations many times, but have never travelled south from there towards Eskbank and beyond and a bit of line just south of Shawfair is the closest bit of line to my house.

If you mean an bit of line that has junctions between it and lines on which I have travelled, then it'd be the North Berwick Branch.

 

[Calthrop]

Recent discussion elsewhere on the Forums, about travelling over Britain's entire rail network (or not); has prompted this post on this thread, after about a month's hiatus. With my living nowadays in Birmingham; if I have things rightly, the nearest line to me with a regular passenger service, on which I have not travelled, is the Coventry -- Nuneaton section (passenger service withdrawn in 1965, reinstated in 1987). My one-time wish to travel over the whole system, has dwindled to lukewarm at best (have done the majority of lines in England and Wales, but not all): although an expedition to cover Coventry -- Nuneaton would pose very little of a problem, I can't get very excited over the idea; will maybe do it some time, "if the Lord spares me".

I'm not sure about the Camp Hill line, I must have travelled between New Street and Bristol Parkway 30-40 times in the mid-late 90s but had completely lost all interest in trains at that point so didn't pay any attention to the route.

I don't think I've ever done the Camp Hill line. A feature of my low level of interest nowadays in line-bashing, is that a line's being an unusual alternative route, if it's fairly short -- Camp Hill, a case in point -- makes me feel less interested in covering it, rather than more.

 

[william.martin]

I live in Telford but I have never been on the line between W'hampton and Crewe.
Neither have I done the heart of Wales, all lines out of shrewsbury (my nearest major station) with an exception of the cambrian coast and the line between shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street.

 

[Cambus731]

Recent discussion elsewhere on the Forums, about travelling over Britain's entire rail network (or not); has prompted this post on this thread, after about a month's hiatus. With my living nowadays in Birmingham; if I have things rightly, the nearest line to me with a regular passenger service, on which I have not travelled, is the Coventry -- Nuneaton section (passenger service withdrawn in 1965, reinstated in 1987). My one-time wish to travel over the whole system, has dwindled to lukewarm at best (have done the majority of lines in England and Wales, but not all): although an expedition to cover Coventry -- Nuneaton would pose very little of a problem, I can't get very excited over the idea; will maybe do it some time, "if the Lord spares me".



I don't think I've ever done the Camp Hill line. A feature of my low level of interest nowadays in line-bashing, is that a line's being an unusual alternative route, if it's fairly short -- Camp Hill, a case in point -- makes me feel less interested in covering it, rather than more.

I guess it depends how one approaches the task of clearing line. I found doing it intensively can be boring. Especially when I was trundling around on slow Class 455s to do various curves on the old Southern Region.
Nowadays I tend to try to combine track bashing with visiting the towns they serve as well. Sometimes it may be my only ever visit to the location, so it's my one chance to see what the pubs, independent record shops, and/or bookshops are like. Or if there are any interesting small bus operators there, I may be able to photograph and maybe ride on one of their buses. I guess this 'half hearted' approach I've adopted is why I still have so many lines to clear. I do keep saying to myself that one year, I'll take one or two weeks holiday to really concentrate on clearing swathes of the network.

 

[Bevan Price]

The nearest to me is the Metrolink extension to Trafford Centre.
On the "main lines", it is probably HS1.

 

[Ken H]

Nearest is Hellifield- Clitheroe. Never done Shipley - Guiseley. Or the line through Brighouse. Dont spose i will ever get the direct Shipley - Woodlesford line avoiding Leeds Stn. Never been west of Kents Bank on the furness line. So really the whole Cumbrian coast to do. Not done Morecambe -Heysham but I have done Hest Bank - Bare Lane but long ago in a modernisation Plan DMU.

Done Shipley - Guiseley now. Mentioned here as it was basically a bus day. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trips-by-bus-and-coach-your-reports.224583/post-5909111

 

[Bertone]

St Albans Abbey to Watford Junction.
…….. and I‘m only a couple of miles from St Albans!

 

[Acfb]

I haven't travelled by rail between Brunstane and Shawfair. Beyond that I haven't travelled on the Fife Circle between Dunfermline Town and Markinch/Kirkcaldy. I also haven't been on the Shotts line west of Breich, the Cumbernauld line from Falkirk Grahamston or ever travelled by rail between Stirling and Perth or Dundee and Perth. Haven't done most of the Glasgow suburban routes at all.

I've never been on the South Suburban either but not sure if that really counts.

 

[xotGD]

I've just thought of one closer to home:

The Shipley Glen Tramway

 

[Gloster]

I have realised that the nearest (to the Isle of Wight) bit of line that I have never travelled, if it qualifies, is the Laverstock Loop. When I lived in Salisbury and worked in the adjacent box they were only just starting design work on it. Since then none of my journeys have needed to take a train diverted over it.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Colne branch or Heysham branch. Then a few bits and pieces in Yorkshire. There's loads I've not done further afield.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Interesting, had some fun working this out.

Mileage is as the crow flies.

Miniature: Ride-astride jobbie in Springfield Park, Rochdale - 1.5 miles (may be barred from this due to weight/height considerations!)

Tram - Heaton Park (Manchester) - about 8 miles.

Full size Standard Gauge - Middleton Railway at Leeds - 28 miles.

National Rail (open now) - Dovey Junction 103 miles (not done the line to Aberystwyth!)

Arguable contender to the last is the Manx Electric Railway, which is (imho) "public transport", but only open at times which do not include cold November evenings. The nearest point to me at Onchan Head is 99 and a bit miles, so just pips Dovey Jc.

 

[AM9]

Nearest to here (St Albans)

National Rail: - The Hertford Loop,
LU: - Northern Line north of East Finchley.