Most scenic railway lines in Britain?

[Lampshade]

Windermere Branch.

 

[tbtc]

Two questions:
1) What is the best line for plain rural attractiveness?
Such as: Preston to Lancaster, the Trent Valley and the Chiltern ML...

2) What is the most overrated line?
Such as, personally:the Nith Valley (Carlsile to Kilmarnock - the 'Glasgow & South Western') and the Golden Valley (Gloucester to Swindon) are not as great as some make them out to be, maybe they would be more suited to my first question than the WHL or the ECML Coast...

Anyone else?

Good way of looking at it.

As a Scot, I have to admit that the "Far North" line really wasn't *that* amazing. Not ugly, no, but not a patch on some lines.

A lot of the answers you get tend to be "a beautiful snapshot, but in a thirty mile section of railway" rather than consistently high.

 

[CarterUSM]

It's all opinion anyway, some folk will prefer the far north line to the west highland or vice versa. I, for instance love the view from Helensburgh to Fort William, but i find the portion to Mallaig pretty bland in comparison.

 

[junglejames]

Two questions:
1) What is the best line for plain rural attractiveness?
Such as: Preston to Lancaster, the Trent Valley and the Chiltern ML...

2) What is the most overrated line?
Such as, personally:the Nith Valley (Carlsile to Kilmarnock - the 'Glasgow & South Western') and the Golden Valley (Gloucester to Swindon) are not as great as some make them out to be, maybe they would be more suited to my first question than the WHL or the ECML Coast...

Anyone else?

Norwich to G Yarmouth and Lowestoft for rural attractiveness. Plus anywhere North of Preston on the WCML.
Most overrated. Anywhere on the WCML for people that have only ever done it on a pendo. The windows are too small for them to see out of!!!!! Boom boom!

 

[4SRKT]

It's all opinion anyway, some folk will prefer the far north line to the west highland or vice versa. I, for instance love the view from Helensburgh to Fort William, but i find the portion to Mallaig pretty bland in comparison.

Same here. Helensburgh to FW is the very best of the best.

 

[junglejames]

It's all opinion anyway, some folk will prefer the far north line to the west highland or vice versa. I, for instance love the view from Helensburgh to Fort William, but i find the portion to Mallaig pretty bland in comparison.

Doctor doctor, come quick!!

 

[At_traction]

Folkestone to Dover!!

Intentional jokes aside, that line is, in the end, one of the few instances to see the famed Kent white cliffs that gave Albi-on its name and the line is IMO even pretty nice with the variations of cliffsides. Provided you are seated on the inland side, of course...

Has to be the Victoria Line in London, boy the views are breath taking
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Closely followed by The Waterloo and City

Well, if you're travelling in summertime, there might indeed be breathtaking views of sweaty, scantily clad young females from all over the world. Not so much on the Drain, of course - well, except for business-dressed, black mini-skirt and high heels-wielding blonde power-hungry...
*Gets a cold shower*

Most overrated. Anywhere on the WCML for people that have only ever done it on a pendo. The windows are too small for them to see out of!!!!! Boom boom!

Hmm, maybe you had a few too many out of the free wine/beverage assortment that has impaired vision, as I've had no problem with seeing outside or photographing...

I'll still, even in this thread (of all these threads ), vouch for the scenery along DLR's Isle of Dogs and Royal Docks branches... Woooooooo etc.

 

[tbtc]

I'll still, even in this thread (of all these threads ), vouch for the scenery along DLR's Isle of Dogs and Royal Docks branches... Woooooooo etc.

Fair shout.

Not the "obvious" scenery you get in these threads, but a nice elevated position and a really interesting viewpoint.

Being up at that height can be more interesting than snaking along the bottom of a picturesque valley.

 

[Flywaver]

Stamford to Syston for the nice rural run isnt bad..

 

[BrummyBoy]

A nice view is New Street - Wolverhampton