Worst line side view from train or station?

[Fearless]

That takes me back! I am certain that they did one for the West Coast too. I will have both somewhere but as it's getting on 15 years since they were about I have no idea where sadly!

And I'm sure I have one for the Penzance run, somewhere under piles of stuff. Or maybe I'm hallucinating again...

 

[nottsnurse]

I remember the Eurostar coming into Waterloo and there is a huge scrap yard at Wandsworth on the right hand side as the track turns towards Vauxhall. Often overheard gasps from people seeing their first view of London.

To be fair, if they had been arriving from Paris they'd have seen far worse winding through Northern Paris and it's suburbs.

 

[Fearless]

Because I'm in a good mood this morning, I'm going to buck the trend and nominate a best view: coming into Bath from the eastern direction, through Sydney Gardens. Other than coming into Edinburgh Waverley through Princes Street Gardens, I challenge anywhere in the country to be more pleasing than that.

Okay, back to normal 'worst view' now.

 

[xotGD]

the view of ̶W̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶C̶o̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶R̶a̶i̶l̶ the scrapyard as you leave Carnforth heading to Barrow is pretty grim

Grim??? Grim??? All that classic traction on display - its a glorious sight!

 

[Ken H]

Because I'm in a good mood this morning, I'm going to buck the trend and nominate a best view: coming into Bath from the eastern direction, through Sydney Gardens. Other than coming into Edinburgh Waverley through Princes Street Gardens, I challenge anywhere in the country to be more pleasing than that.

Okay, back to normal 'worst view' now.

into Garsdale from the north. Stunning.

 

[ijmad]

The view at Essex Road is kind of boring

 

[Esker-pades]

The view at Essex Road is kind of boring

Since they got rid of the old NSE signage, I have to agree.

 

[matacaster]

I must nominate the winner - Naples. In a category of its own!

 

[Ken H]

Berlin. The Ring is just end to end dereliction, and the line in from the East isnt much better.

 

[Fearless]

Re Virgin CrossCountry's Window Gazer Guides:

I don't suppose you have a copy? A friend from Sheffield would find that very amusing!

Please see attached! The other book is pointing to the sentence in question.


And I found the West Coast one, too (it's the one doing the pointing in that photo). These guides are wonderful little documents, a pity they aren't still available.

 

[vlad]

Re Virgin CrossCountry's Window Gazer Guides:

Please see attached! The other book is pointing to the sentence in question.

I quite like the bit under the Tinsley Viaduct - there aren't many double-deck viaducts in the country.

It's not the same now they've knocked down the cooling towers, however.

 

[trebor79]

Back when Virgin were running CrossCountry, they had excellent 'Window Gazer Guides' that told you what to look out for on a journey. For the northern approach to Sheffield, it actually recommended closing your eyes...

I used to regularly do Durham to Bristol TN, I found the approach to Sheffield really interesting. Forgemasters, the remains of the steelworks up on the hillside and miles of pipes running alongside the railway line marked "Oxygen", even into the station IIRC.

Haven't been that way for about 15 years now, so I guess it's changed a lot.

I also used to like the bit under Spaghetti junction going into Birmingham, and the contrast with the run alongside the canal and woodland on the other side of the city.

Longbridge was both from and fascinating in equal measure.

 

[GoneSouth]

Re Virgin CrossCountry's Window Gazer Guides:

Please see attached! The other book is pointing to the sentence in question.
View attachment 57017

And I found the West Coast one, too (it's the one doing the pointing in that photo). These guides are wonderful little documents, a pity they aren't still available.

Thanks! Those books look great... I don't remember seeing those on my cross country travels.

Honestly I think there are far worse views from a cross country train than Tinsley! I really dislike the stretch into Bristol through Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road stations. The graffiti gives it a real downtrodden feel.

For such a nice town, Cheltenham Spa station is quite a dismal place too.

Tamworth station looks much like the concrete of Tinsley and a pretty horrible place to wait I imagine.

 

[Megafuss]

The south view from a Northern Rail or Grand Central service between Seaton Carew and Billingham. Mad Max landscape and lots of pipes and oddly coloured pools of water. Beyond grim.

 

[Jonny]

The area just north of Salford Crescent was pretty grubby. However, I haven't been there for a few years.

 

[WYSH]

Surely a contender must be the approach from both directions into Sandwell and Dudley. Grimmmmm

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If we're including overseas examples, Barcelona Sants from any direction is pretty grim...

 

[Requeststop]

London Liverpool Street is pretty grim. Almost as bad as Birmingham New Street in my opinion.

 

[trebor79]

Nah the grim bit is the endless trashy suburbs all the way in from Chelmsford.

The final half mile into Liverpool Street, under what remains if Bishopsgate Goods is like entering a time warp, I love it. Lots of mysterious doors and windows, I can't help but wonder what is behind them.

 

[37201xoIM]

Anybody ever done the Alexandria suburban lines? As grim as grim gets, even by Egyptian standards - apocalyptic, I would say. Don't recommend you go and check!

 

[TwinTurbostar]

The northern approach has the delightful burnt-out brewery building.

They're working on turning that into a new campus for the university. https://www.wlv.ac.uk/about-us/developing-our-campus/springfield-campus/

 

[Ianno87]

I'll additionally nominate the approaches to Salford Crescent from Bolton. Derelict factories and scrap yards aplenty.

If we're including overseas examples, Barcelona Sants from any direction is pretty grim...

Oh yes, my memory (from 2000) is of a railway surrounded by run down high rise flats and every conceivable surface coveres in graffiti.

 

[trainmania100]

Think there's also a scrap yard in appaorch southbound into Bushey
Departing moorgate could not be worse also

 

[Ianigsy]

To be fair, if they had been arriving from Paris they'd have seen far worse winding through Northern Paris and it's suburbs.

The Eurostar departure lounge at the Gare du Nord had a wonderful view of an open-air urinal in the street below the last time I used it!

 

[yorksrob]

I used to regularly do Durham to Bristol TN, I found the approach to Sheffield really interesting. Forgemasters, the remains of the steelworks up on the hillside and miles of pipes running alongside the railway line marked "Oxygen", even into the station IIRC.

Haven't been that way for about 15 years now, so I guess it's changed a lot.

I also used to like the bit under Spaghetti junction going into Birmingham, and the contrast with the run alongside the canal and woodland on the other side of the city.
.

Indeed. I'm always intrigued by the English Pewter Company alongside the Northern approach.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'll additionally nominate the approaches to Salford Crescent from Bolton. Derelict factories and scrap yards aplenty.



Oh yes, my memory (from 2000) is of a railway surrounded by run down high rise flats and every conceivable surface coveres in graffiti.

I was really meaning the fact that it's all underground!

 

[johnnychips]

I was really meaning the fact that it's all underground!

Sants in Barcelona is all underground if approaching from the east, but not so wonderful if leaving to the west. However, nothing compares to Naples anywhere as somebody has already mentioned many posts ago.