Least scenic lines

[gazthomas]

You're all wrong. The winner is: Morecambe to Heysham Port. Shocking in every feasible way. Heysham Port station is bleak. Crap all the way there and a nuclear power station to cap it all off.
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Some other suggestions - Bletchley to Bedford. Horrible at both ends particularly in Bedford. To think I have this line in a "great railway journeys of the world" book!

If I was to nominate a preserved line must be the Nene Valley Railway east of Ferry Meadows. Makes the East Lancs at Heywood look gorgeous!!!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If I was to nominate a preserved line must be the Nene Valley Railway east of Ferry Meadows. Makes the East Lancs at Heywood look gorgeous!!!

The Middleton Railway can't be the most attractive journey one could have behind a kettle!

 

[Whistler40145]

Camden Road to Stratford isn't very scenic IMHO.


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[The Barlow Boy]

There's not a lot to see between Golders Green and Morden.

 

[al78]

If we can nominate short stretches how about Redhill to Coulsdon South. Once past the M25 it is just a steep embankment and a tunnel.

Much of the WCML south of Stockport isn't particularly scenic.

 

[12CSVT]

If I was to nominate a preserved line must be the Nene Valley Railway east of Ferry Meadows. Makes the East Lancs at Heywood look gorgeous!!!

How about the North Tyneside Railway. A few industrial estates, and a run down looking housing estate at the Percy Main end of the line.

 

[Ivo]

I don't think it's fair to people to nominate tunnels to be honest. You can't really call a line scenic if everything is black/grey, and there are examples all over the country. This should be about overground (note the small "o") routes only.

Speaking of which, another one to add to the list: The Abbey Line (Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey). Nothing oif any interest on the line whatsoever, apart from warehouses, hedges and vandalism.

Merseyrail Northern Lines at Kirkby and Bootle have the most depressing scenery anywhere in the country as far as I'm concerned. yet the change when they head into Formby and Ainsdale is remarkable. You really must experience the journey to Southport from Liverpool Central to believe it

The line north of Waterloo is one of the most outstanding commuter routes in the country. And I don't think the line through Bootle is too bad either. I agree on Kirkby to a point, but even then there's much worse than that around.

 

[steamybrian]

.....
If I was to nominate a preserved line must be the Nene Valley Railway east of Ferry Meadows. Makes the East Lancs at Heywood look gorgeous!!!

Another contender for the "Heritage Railway" category must be Sittingbourne & Kemsley Railway- Scenery consists of Industrial buildings, thick vegetation, wasteland and at low tide the smelly mudflats of the Swale Estuary. I feel sorry for the members that work there..

 

[Antman]

Another contender for the "Heritage Railway" category must be Sittingbourne & Kemsley Railway- Scenery consists of Industrial buildings, thick vegetation, wasteland and at low tide the smelly mudflats of the Swale Estuary. I feel sorry for the members that work there..

Well worth a visit though

 

[sprinterguy]

I have to add Newcastle to Sunderland as being a high contender on the list.

I can't say that I can subscrbe to this view. I never, ever got bored of this route in the eighteen years that it was my local line. Still haven't, in fact, and I still enjoy travelling over the route whenever I am back in the area.

There's plenty of variety and interest, even more so since the introduction of the Metro to Sunderland has afforded a Driver's Eye view of the route.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Playing the devil's avocado, I'd nominate Derby-Matlock as the least scenic route.

It's not ugly as such, it's just that because it sticks to the bottom of a steep sided valley, you never actually see any far-ranging views or points of interest, which is so frustrating as you know you're so close to some delightful countryside.

A recent trip on the neighbouring Ecclesbourne Valley line proved it also has the same problem.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The lines around Rotherham used to be pretty depressing - all I remember is a massive scrap yard!

I don't know for certain what's there now, but I think that it might have been cleared up - thank goodness!

If you're talking about boring views and lack of scenery, though (and my apologies if this is "off topic"), my vote goes to the route of "The Ghan" between Adelaide and Alice Springs in Australia. I travelled on it 12 years ago, and it's basically a couple of thousand miles of nothing!!

I was reading a book at the time, and whenever I looked out of the window (every half an hour or so, I guess), the scene outside really hadn't changed. it was only when we got near to Alice Springs that the view changed - and not then by much!

It was a good train, though, comfortable and quite quick ... but pretty boring outside!

 

[prod_pep]

A few spring to mind. Locally, the Hooton - Ellesmere Port line: nothing to look at and desperately grim neighbourhoods as well. Hooton - Chester isn't much better: these sections are far and away the worst on the Merseyrail network as far as I'm concerned.

Others include St Albans Abbey - Watford Junction, London Liverpool Street - Chingford, Romford - Upminster and Glasgow Central - Paisley Canal.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

What have people got against St Albans - Watford ? (quite green at this time of year)

Not much beats the Leighton Buzzard Light railway - housing estates , burnt out sofa areas and yobs - and a run alongside a hedge to a disused brickworks....

 

[Sleepy]

Shenfield-Southend Vic. boring beyond belief - Wickford and some other stations are very tatty looking, hard to believe they are same TOC as GE mainline ??

 

[RichmondCommu]

The lines around Rotherham used to be pretty depressing - all I remember is a massive scrap yard!

I don't know for certain what's there now, but I think that it might have been cleared up - thank goodness!

If you're talking about boring views and lack of scenery, though (and my apologies if this is "off topic"), my vote goes to the route of "The Ghan" between Adelaide and Alice Springs in Australia. I travelled on it 12 years ago, and it's basically a couple of thousand miles of nothing!!

I was reading a book at the time, and whenever I looked out of the window (every half an hour or so, I guess), the scene outside really hadn't changed. it was only when we got near to Alice Springs that the view changed - and not then by much!

It was a good train, though, comfortable and quite quick ... but pretty boring outside!

I'm not really sure what else you could have expected the Outback to be!

 

[Rich McLean]

Plymouth to St Beaudaux is quite grim, just rows and rows of terraced houses, and views of the dockyard

 

[Whistler40145]

The line from Leeds through the suburbs towards Garforth is a bit grim.

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[PhilipF]

Plymouth to St Beaudaux is quite grim, just rows and rows of terraced houses, and views of the dockyard

A bit farther on i would nominate the line from Liskeard to Looe - certainly south of Coombe Junction. nothing but trees and bushes, many brushing the windows! Excellent value though - a return ticket from Plymouth cost an old geezer just £3.55!

The mail line beyond Liskeard would have been far better I agree, or perhaps the line up to Gunnislake.

 

[gottago]

I always found Leeds to Hull particularly dull and flat, the approach to Hull is particularly unpleasant and definitely doesn't show the city in its best light.

Also my commute between Olympia and Bronesbury is very dull. Can't stand the horrible area around Willesden Junction

 

[class303]

I always found Leeds to Hull particularly dull and flat, the approach to Hull is particularly unpleasant and definitely doesn't show the city in its best light.

Also my commute between Olympia and Bronesbury is very dull. Can't stand the horrible area around Willesden Junction

ah the approach to hull. does it still say "lithium joe, welcome to joe town"?

approach to hull used to look a LOT worse untill they flattened half of the woodcock street area

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Back in my days of regular Preston-Taunton runs, the Stafford call was my cue to read a book until departure from New Street. Very little of interest through the Black Country stretch, save the sight of the old low-level station at Wolverhampton. South of New Street is just as 'urban' but the canal and Bourneville at least add some variety.

 

[yorksrob]

I always found Leeds to Hull particularly dull and flat, the approach to Hull is particularly unpleasant and definitely doesn't show the city in its best light.

It's really quite a pretty route, trundelling through the countryside on a stopper with the Wolds in the background and the Humber on the other.

One of my favourites.

 

[Bullfield WEst]

It suffers from the same malaise as the Central Wales line and most others... Too many bloody TREES! and no view.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

I always find the line between Corkicle and Whitehaven stations very unscenic

 

[matchmaker]

I know it's only recently reopened, but I have always found the Edinburgh - Glasgow via Bathgate route depressing. It's the scenery - not my favourite part of Scotland (same applies to the M8 motorway!)

 

[L&Y Robert]

I don't think it's fair to people to nominate tunnels to be honest. You can't really call a line scenic if everything is black/grey, and there are examples all over the country. This should be about overground (note the small "o") routes only.

Oh, that's a shame - I was going to say the first 5 mins. out of Marly-bone - wherever you're going. But then, I thought, you could add the next 10 mins alongside the Met. It's a yawn-enforcer for me.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I'm not really sure what else you could have expected the Outback to be!

That's a fair comment, I agree .... but I was surprised that it was as empty as it was.

 

[RichmondCommu]

That's a fair comment, I agree .... but I was surprised that it was as empty as it was.

I spent six months working on a cattle station in South Australia during my Gap Year. Other than the William Creek Hotel there was absolutely nothing for well over fifty miles in each direction. And I mean nothing! And as for the fly's; bloody hell!

 

[Zamracene749]

Once rode the Southern service from Victoria to London Bridge on a whim (or was it a 455?).

Anyway that's an hour of my life i'd certainly like back please. Think of a video stream of rubbish strewn cutting, grim housing estate, filthy terrace backs and concrete dereliction on a 50 minute loop.....

Still not as boring as Holland mind