most boring line

[yorksrob]

Put on the plus side, you also get interesting smells drifting into the carriage every time you pass a cabbage field... :roll:

Having enjoyed a large portion of cabbage with lunch yesterday, I can assure you that those are as nothing compared to the interesting smells wafting through my carriage this morning

 

[Cundy66]

The line from Aylesbury to Marylebone is a bit of a snore.

I quite enjoyed the the Marylebone to Wendover stretch or it could have Just been the excitment of returning to Halton on the sunday evening train with everyone from the Squadron.

Tom

 

[Bungle73]

How can a line which passes through some of the best walking country in the South East (ie the Chilterns) be a snore?

 

[Beveridges]

um... if you didn't like steam, ancient carriages, or trees, um... why choose it at all? It seems a bit like going to Ibiza and going "ooh, it was awful, it was too hot and there was nothing but beaches".

Made the mistake of expecting to see mountain scenery, and didnt think the coaches would be so uncomfortable! Also so slow! The bouncing and rocking even at 15mph made a 142 at 50mph feel like luxery! Just to say its probably the most boring journey I've made

 

[dk1]

The West Coastway, Portsmouth - Brighton. Stops everywhere, takes forever....yawn!

Oh, i sort of have to agree with you here. Used it a lot this last week. I even try to get the in-frequent FGW services for a bit of inspiration. On the plus side it has a good service with even connections at Hove for Brighton passengers coming off Victoria trains & a few good catering outlets away from the national big players.

Southern also doing a decent job with ticket gates & cleanliness & appearence of stations.

 

[ert47]

Having enjoyed a large portion of cabbage with lunch yesterday, I can assure you that those are as nothing compared to the interesting smells wafting through my carriage this morning

Couldn't smell as bad as the sewage works just north of Newark North Gate?

 

[harz99]

Made the mistake of expecting to see mountain scenery, and didnt think the coaches would be so uncomfortable! Also so slow! The bouncing and rocking even at 15mph made a 142 at 50mph feel like luxery! Just to say its probably the most boring journey I've made

The first class sup is reasonable and they are more comfortable.........

Seriously though, if its scenery you want you'd have been better off going Porthmadog to Beddgelert or beyond on the WHR.

 

[NathanPrior]

London to Norwich
London to Manchester
London to Sheffield

 

[jonesy3001]

How can you say the WCML is boring!!
The westcoast railway yard is on that line as you are coming into carnforth on a local or on a express(10 mins out of lancaster), you are going through the lake district as you head up to carlisle and on the barrow line on a clear day you can see across morecambe bay(shame about the polo tower).

 

[flymo]

I don't think I've ever had a boring rail journey. I could travel up and down the same line every day and find something new to see. I find the most enjoyable thing about going somewhere is the journey itself. Maybe I'm easily pleased.....

 

[ReverendFozz]

I'd second that - and add in the ECML north of Peterborough too, except the short bit between Morpeth and Berwick. A journey from London to Edinburgh is mind-numbingly tedious

The approaches to both Durham and Newcastle are pretty impressive... if you're on the right side of the train!

Parts of the EMCL are quite boring, but other parts are nice enough, Edinburgh-Berwick, Durham-Darlo-York to Peterborough, nothing special as pointed out before South of Peterborough.

I used to love/hate Durham Coast Line, especially Newcastle-Sunderland, but I always appreciated the Seaham-Hartlepool stretch along the cliff tops

 

[Lampshade]

Preston - Crewe is a bit of a snooze fest.

 

[Rogercas]

Then you missed the best bit (assuming you only went Porthmadog - Tan-y-Bwlch)! After Tan-y-Bwlch the trees clear and you get more into the mountains - then there's the interest of the spiral at Dduallt and the reservoir at Tanygrisau, as well as the slag heaps at Blaenau (which admittedly is a dull place...)

Best travelled in early spring or autumn when the trees are bare.

It has to be said that 100k+ visitors per year do not find the Festiniog boring, and many are repeat visitors.

And Blaenau a dull place? Never! Someone recently published a book of photographs which show the true grandeur of the town and the slate (not slag) heaps.

 

[yorksrob]

Couldn't smell as bad as the sewage works just north of Newark North Gate?

I knew the Mk 4's have sealed windows for a reason
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

How can you say the WCML is boring!!
The westcoast railway yard is on that line as you are coming into carnforth on a local or on a express(10 mins out of lancaster), you are going through the lake district as you head up to carlisle and on the barrow line on a clear day you can see across morecambe bay(shame about the polo tower).

I agree entirely.

I used to travel between London and Lancaster quite regularly at one time, and I remember there being no end of huge yards full of decaying carriages, interesting stations with impressive trainsheds and junctions leading off in all directions.

Much better for window gazing than the ECML (South of Donny anyway !).

 

[12CSVT]

Preston - Crewe is a bit of a snooze fest.

Even though you pass Arpley yard and Crewe Heritage Centre (okay I'll admit there's very little to see at Springs Branch these days)

 

[Beveridges]

Preston-Crewe isnt that bad, like someone said below you get an excellent view at slow speed of Warrington Arpley while departing WBQ, which is one of the highlights on any route in the UK. Plus Wigan Depot. Also the view is not just purely boring fields as you pass through towns like Wigan and Warrington. There are also the various yards around Crewe itself. The section of the WCML I find most boring is probably a lot of what is south of Crewe which there really is nothing to look at besides fields for very long periods of time.
Also found north of Preston less interesting than Preston-Crewe (with the exception of a quick look at the yard at Carnforth, which you pass very fast in a few seconds anyway, and the Lake District part which is over very, very quickly and does not visit any of the more spectacular parts of the Lake District, you really need to go by Road to see the Lake District anywhere near properly)

 

[trentside]

Couldn't smell as bad as the sewage works just north of Newark North Gate?

The place that Lincoln to Nottingham trains are usually held outside, waiting for a path over the flat crossing - worse when you're on a train that calls at Northgate and Castle (on Sundays or in the evening) as you have to stop there twice sometimes

 

[kar3emosman]

Southern Metro routes.

 

[dickdarlington]

Dalmenny to North Queensferry. 3 minutes of pure tedium

Personally I enjoy all the journeys I make. I am often supposed to be preparing for meetings on the train, but I always find myself distracted by the world as we rush by.

Admittedly the flattness of the ECML can be a drain, but there is always something to see, wherever you're at.

 

[2Dogbox]

The place that Lincoln to Nottingham trains are usually held outside, waiting for a path over the flat crossing - worse when you're on a train that calls at Northgate and Castle (on Sundays or in the evening) as you have to stop there twice sometimes

It's most unpleasant being the conductor on these trains when it's particularly whiffy. I don't know why but I always worry that when I'm checking tickets from Newark towards Lincoln that some of the passengers might think I've 'made a smell'.

Also combined with the sugar beet factory belching out sickly fumes, it's not a pleasant area for the nostrils. Next station Collingham . . .where the surrounding fields will have been nicely spread with dung.

 

[Bellwater]

I once got told on a Nottm-Lincoln Service 'That smell's disgusting. Can you do something about it?'

 

[2Dogbox]

I once got told on a Nottm-Lincoln Service 'That smell's disgusting. Can you do something about it?'

That doesn't surprise me at all! Even the external smells are our fault these days

 

[ValleyLines142]

That doesn't surprise me at all! Even the external smells are our fault these days

Haha yes! Because conductors have totally got Glade Air Freshener on board

 

[Howardh]

Bolton to Salford Crescent. Add ugly to boring. It's where the phrase "nothing to see here" was invented.

Ironically just 3 miles north of Bolton between Bromley X and Darwen is some stunning stuff!!

 

[TGV]

LGV Sud-Est between Le Creusot and Paris and LGV Nord (most of it).

 

[trentside]

It's most unpleasant being the conductor on these trains when it's particularly whiffy. I don't know why but I always worry that when I'm checking tickets from Newark towards Lincoln that some of the passengers might think I've 'made a smell'.

Also combined with the sugar beet factory belching out sickly fumes, it's not a pleasant area for the nostrils. Next station Collingham . . .where the surrounding fields will have been nicely spread with dung.

Has anyone actually ever accused you?

It's a great line for odours! A real treat for the nose, especially when it gets into the 158 air-con during the summer. Not a boring line by any stretch of the imagination, though.

 

[Cundy66]

That doesn't surprise me at all! Even the external smells are our fault these days

Not mainline rail but us conductors on sheffield light rail get funny looks between tinsley and meadowhall as collecting fares no it wasn't us just the local sewage works or meadowhall take your pick I'd agree...

Tom

 

[fgwrich]

Haha yes! Because conductors have totally got Glade Air Freshener on board

Should use First Great Westerns 153s then - There toilets even use Toilet Duck Fresh Disks

 

[headshot119]

Gunnislake? Seems to drag on for ever.

 

[2Dogbox]

Has anyone actually ever accused you?

It's a great line for odours! A real treat for the nose, especially when it gets into the 158 air-con during the summer. Not a boring line by any stretch of the imagination, though.

No-one has ever accused me, I just feel strangely self consious there as the smell also lingers quite a bit. Agree with you about 158's in summer! No its a good line not boring, just full of fragrance.