h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My vote goes to the Trans Penine express - especially the bit between Manchester and Sheffield. So much better than the equivalent road journey.

So that'll be the bit going through Edale and the Hope valley. Very nice part of the world indeed.

Take your own provisions etc though9see picnic baskets) AND I've never been on it when it's been less than half an hour late. Several times I have tried to get to Madchester airport on it -only to be chucked off half way and have to schlepp heavy luggage over a draughty bridge. last time I mucked up a favourite skirt buy sitting on chewing gum

I have ended up getting off at a place different from my original destination on that one. The train was diverted and stopped somewhere near where I really wanted to get to, so I got off and called for a lift
Most of the time I've been along that route it has been ok and on time.

I've used Transpennine Express quite a bit, both between Manchester and Sheffield, and also between Manchester, Leeds and York, and generally found it quite reliable and punctual - but their pserformance has slipped badly lately, they've had a lot of cancellations. I think that the current problems are due to driver shortages, but I could be wrong on that.

You're perfectly correct about driver shortages on Arriva services,Captain Kebab.Seem to affect the Wakefield,Knottingley and Goole services quite a lot.I use the Scarborough-York/Leeds services fairly regularly and find it a relaxing journey looking at the ever changing countryside.Another stretch of line with good countryside views is the line between Birmingham and Exeter.Have done this stretch of line many times before I moved to Scarborough from Barnstaple,North Devon.

u must have been on the barnstaple-exeter line person who wrote ^ comment - that's got great scenery 2 u know...

Yes,I've travelled the 'Tarka Line'several times as I lived in the
Barnstaple/Bideford area for about eight years and while I'll agree that there is some nice scenery along the line to be seen,I feel
that,unless things have changed in the last three years,services along the line could be improved.Might also be a good idea to restore
services to Okehampton on a regular basis and not just on summer
Sundays as has occured in the last few years as there are some nice
views to be seen along the line from Coleford Junction to
Okehampton.

The best train journey I have been on goes from Fort William over Rannoch Moor (I forget where it ends up - Glasgow probably - but we can ignore that bit).

Truly amazing scenery.

Was that using the steam hauled "Jacobite" service that operates during the summer?

That goes from Fort William to Mallaig. I'm told by people who've been on it that it's wonderful, but it's not cheap.

I've just had a quick Google. It's £23 return, and leaves Fort William at 10.20, returning by 16.00. You get an hour and a half or so for lunch (or whatever) in Mallaig.

Fort William to Mallaig is another brilliant journey, but not the one I meant. There are two (or is it three) train routes out of Fort William.

Yes - I was picking up compo's question about the Jacobite - the train you were talking about goes down to Glasgow from Fort William. It makes a big loop out to Glen Spean and then runs south across Rannoch Moor and then west of Loch Lomond into Glasgow. It's a scheduled Scotrail route.

I've never travelled on it, although I've driven up the A82 from Glasgow to Fort William which goes across Rannoch Moor to the west of the raiway and through Glencoe several times - and it's wonderful!

I can't believe that no one has mentioned the classic Settle - Carlisle route. Or is it just me that likes that one?

Anyway. I think it's great, with the moorland scenery, and the viaducts and the huge tunnels.

Valid point about the Settle - Carlisle line.Keep meanimg to travel on it for a day out but haven't got round to it yet.A similar line for rugged scenery is the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (Grosmont - Pickering.)As with the S and C,you can break your journey and enjoy thr moors at your own leisure at Levisham.Let's hope they eventually reconnect with the National network at Rillington Junction near Malton,so giving a proper service between York and Whitby as well as being an improved tourist attraction.

Is there the remains of an old line between Pickering and Rillington?

I guess they could even put in a station at Flamingo Land if they did.

Not sure if there is any of the infrastructure (embankments/cuttings etc)left after the best part of forty years,Monaco Atari, but the line from Rillington Junction to Whitby was closed completely to both passengers and freight in the mid 1960's under the Beeching cutbacks.Shame,really.as it gave a more direct service for connections to the East Coast Main Line at York via Malton,so saving time as well as a couple of changes of train,the first being at Middlesborough.There is a Yorkshire Coastliner bus service from Whitby to York and Leeds via Grosmont,Pickering and Malton which also calls at Flamingoland I believe,but whether they'd build a station there if they reopened the line remains to be seen.Nice idea,though,as it would possibly help reduce traffic congestion,especially during the summer.

Most of the lines that were closed that long ago have lost much of their infrastructure, and often there is new building on the line of route. I wouldn't hold your breath on any new build or old lines being resurrected - if anything we can expect to see more line closures in the current economic climate - that's certainly the way the SRA seem to be thinking.

So unless there's a very resourceful railway preservation group - and they'd need to be VERY resourceful - rebuilding a railway line effectively from scratch is a massive undertaking - I think you've lost that one forever.

Captain Kebab.Thanks for your response to my bit on the possible reopening of the Pickering-Rillington Junction stretch of railway.They are all valid points that you made and I can see the logic behind each one.I don't know whick part of the country you live in,but the (proposed)reopeningis not a potential pipe dream on my part or of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.Parties involved in a study to reopen the line included Pickering Town Council,North yorks Moor National Park and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to name but three interested parties.I haven't heard anything about how the study has progressed in recent weeks,so maybe it has fallen by the wayside,possibly through the SRA cutting back on funding.However,it was stated on BBC North last week that there were parties who would like to see the lines between Leeds and Wetherby and also York and Beverley reopened,both victims of the Beeching cuts.These would be more ambitious,and more likely to failure,than the Pickering-Rillington plans.
As for the comment you made abour old track beds being built over,then again,I can't dismiss your point of view out of hand as I know it is perfectly correct.However,the supermarket chain Safeways seem to be setting double standards.They appear to be pro rail,especially seeing as they send trainloads of stock to the north of Scotland for onward transmission by road.The funny thing is,they recently wanted to build a new supermarket across the trackbed at Pickering!! Last I heard,the town council turned down planning permission because of the possibility of the line reopening.
I look forward to any comments you may have on the above.
Compo.