Around the UK on an all-line rover ticket and nearly 80 trains

In part three of our series, PAUL BIGLAND completes his seven-day Rail Rover tour of the rail network.

In this article:

• Architectural highlights and restored railways: A journey celebrating unique railway architecture, from Art Deco Surbiton to modern developments like Levenmouth's reopened line.
• Railway revitalization boosts communities: Restoration projects like Maidstone West's signal box and Leven’s reopened branch attract locals and tourists alike.
• Diverse train experiences: From retro Class 455s to sleek LNER Azumas, the trip spans scenic routes and bustling cities.

What could be finer than starting one’s day at a railway station that’s an architectural masterpiece?

Day 5 kicks off at Surbiton, a Grade 2 Listed concrete and marble Art Deco wonder built in 1937 by the Southern Railway.

It was designed by J R Scott from the company’s Architect’s department. He was also responsible for Waterloo station’s victory arch. The station’s well worth a visit for anyone who admires good design.

Network Rail has spent £6.7 million upgrading facilities in a manner sympathetic to the original, which should be applauded and held up as an example.

Fog had set in after the previous day’s torrential rain, but it doesn’t delay me. I catch an old Class 455 to Clapham Junction for a brief look around.

The yard contains several Class 701 ‘Arterio’ units, but none show any signs of life. Five years on from when they were due to enter service, only a handful have done so.

Another ‘455’ (living well beyond borrowed time) carries me on to Waterloo along viaducts that have become hemmed in by high-rise developments.

Waterloo itself feels very quiet for 0730 on a weekday. Passenger numbers haven’t recovered post-COVID, and the opening of the ‘Lizzie line’ has seen it lose its age-old crown of Britain’s busiest station.

I move inwards via Waterloo East, boarding yet another old train - a Class 465 ‘Networker’ built by Metro-Cammell in 1991. They still provide sterling service, but are due for replacement in the near future, as Southeastern is looking for a new fleet. Let’s hope whatever’s chosen has a more successful introduction than the ‘701s’!

The ‘Networkers’ are free of such things as power and USB sockets, so I sit back and enjoy the journey through the south London suburbs. Graffiti is becoming a visible problem once more, despite the difficulties of accessing the viaducts.

Passing Lewisham, where high-rises have transformed the landscape, I notice a healthy crop of banana palms growing in a back garden - a reflection of how warm the weather can be in the city.

The fog has cleared, but the weather is dark and dull as we leave London behind, passing a succession of well-kept stations such as Elmstead Woods, which has some lovely gardens adorning its platforms. None of the stations seem busy - even Orpington is quiet.

At Sevenoaks, I notice old poles in the sidings, which puzzles me until I realise that some Southern Region yards once had overhead wires used by Class 71s. What odd survivors! Finally, we arrive at Tonbridge - a busy junction with a yard full of GB Railfreight locomotives awaiting weekend work.

A short hop on a more modern and far busier Class 375 takes me to Paddock Wood, where the station building possesses a two-faced SER clock.

More relics can be found in the bay platform, where cast-iron rail chairs labelled SE&CR (a company that hasn’t existed since 1923) still hold the rails.

But not everything is ancient. There’s also a modern footbridge with lifts and a Network Rail training centre adjacent to the line.

I am here to catch a train along the Medway Valley line, which runs from Paddock Wood to Strood.

While the route was resignalled in 2005, the old signal boxes remain in situ. Some (East Farleigh, Wateringbury) remain in use to control the level crossings nearby.

This is a lovely line which closely follows the route of the river from which it gets its name. There’s an active Community Rail Partnership which helps promote it and look after the stations, although (sadly) many have buildings that are boarded up or underutilised. The buildings are a mix of wood, brick or stone, with two particularly outstanding examples.

Wateringbury, is a gorgeous two-storey ‘Tudor-style’ brick building (listed Grade 2). But while a similar building at Aylesford was restored in the 1990s and remains in use as an Indian restaurant, a smaller version at Cuxton lies empty.

Snodland station is also worthy of mention - its huge two-storey main building still has a ticket office and retains its SER-style ‘clover’ valences to the canopy, as well as a large lattice footbridge.

The biggest station on the line is at the halfway point. Maidstone West boasts a huge old SER signal box dating from 1900. This Evans O’ Donnell-designed brick and wood structure was almost flattened by a Second World War V1 flying bomb in 1944, which killed two rail workers and injured a signaller.

The line becomes more industrial the further north you get, while the river widens dramatically.

At Cuxton you pass under three massive bridges, the first for HS1, the two others for the M2 motorway - an object lesson in the land-take difference between motorways and rail.

My trip ends at Strood, where I pick up a high-speed ‘Javelin’ service to take me back to London. This is how railways should be - fast, reliable (refurbished) trains that whisk you to where you want to be.

A 25-minute journey takes me through Gravesend to Ebbsfleet, where we access HS1 for the trip under the Thames into Essex.

I documented this line being built, but still can’t quite believe what a difference it makes to connectivity.

Having sped through Essex to Dagenham, we dive into the tunnel under east London to arrive at Stratford International, an area unrecognisable from when I lived and worked here in the 1990s.

The HS1 station is built on the site of the famous railway works and locomotive depot, and a new city has risen above the adjoining sidings and yards, which have also disappeared.

While they have contracted, Stratford station has expanded with new platforms and services to become the UK version of Berlin’s Ostkreuz (East Cross) interchange.

Wandering through the vast temple to Mammon that is the Westfield shopping centre, to access the old station, I head for Platform 11 and an area that’s been totally rebuilt since I first knew it.

One of Greater Anglia’s new Class 720 ‘Aventras’ is waiting to take me on a trip up the Lea Valley and down Memory Lane.

This corridor is a great example of how the railway’s fortunes have fluctuated. Once home to Temple Mills marshalling yard, the site has undergone several incarnations since - including freight sidings, a civil engineers yard, and an EWS locomotive depot. Now there’s a large Eurostar depot and Orient Way EMU sidings, relocated from Thornton Fields to make way for the 2012 Olympic site.

Passenger trains reappeared in 2005, while Lea Bridge station reopened in 2016 (having closed when services stopped in 1985).

Now the area is booming, with new high-rise housing springing up all around - so much so that a new three-platform station (Meridian Water) has been built north of Tottenham Hale, replacing the less than convenient Angel Road station in 2019.

It’s an object lesson in how better public transport boosts cities.

Leaving London behind, my train follows the River Lea out into rural Hertfordshire to reach Broxbourne, a classic example of 1960s brutalist architecture that has a Grade 2 listing. Anyone familiar with Coventry or Stafford would feel at home here.

Swinging left at Broxbourne Junction, we continue to follow the Lea through Ware along the branch to journey’s end at Hertford East.

Rationalised during resignalling, the 1888 station has lost its carriage sidings but retains two platforms with original canopies, plus an elegant (if underutilised) red-brick listed building, with two porte cochères and elegant roof, and skylights above the concourse. It’s well worth a visit.

The town’s other station (Hertford North), which celebrated its centenary this year, couldn’t be more of a contrast. The entrance is a small, modern steel, breeze block and glass structure, but it hosts a lively and welcoming little shop and a micropub called Mind the Gap.

I just have time to sample the wares (the beer’s well-kept) before heading north aboard a Class 717.

These Siemens-built units replaced the old Class 313s several years ago, bringing air-conditioned comfort to commuters.

Arriving at Stevenage, I cross the platform to catch an LNER ‘Azuma’ to Peterborough, for a brief photo stop before another ‘Azuma’ takes me to Doncaster.

Both trains are packed, leaving me little option but to stand in the vestibules. I almost become nostalgic for the COVID years, when there would only be a couple of dozen of us on the entire train.

Grateful to get to Doncaster (and how often can you say that?), I downgrade to Class 150s for a trip through the heart of the old Yorkshire coalfields to Swinton, via the ‘new’ curve from Mexborough.

Changing direction, I pick up a train to my next destination - Moorthorpe, which has a unique status. It’s the only working station I’m aware of that has an MP’s office!

The building has had a chequered history, having been derelict twice since the 1990s, when it became unstaffed. Now it’s been restored again - hopefully for the final time, having reopened in May 2023.

Branded as the Mallard, the pub is an outlet for a small Yorkshire brewer (Jolly Boys). It has several rooms (including a verandah) and a beer garden, making it the ideal place to enjoy a snack and a pint while watching the frequent trains go by. Or (if you’re local), to pop in to see your MP, Jon Trickett, whose office is on the platform side.

I still have a long way to travel, so leave for the North aboard one of Northern’s reformed three-car Class 150/0s, which feature a centre car taken from a Class 150/2 to add capacity.

At Leeds, I swap to a faster Siemens Class 185 to York. Tempting as it is to pause for further refreshment at the excellent York Tap on the station, I am keen to get to my hotel, so catch the first available LNER service to Newcastle.

I strike lucky and manage to get a seat. Friday is a busy day on the railway, and this is no exception as people head back to their old home towns from London and the South East.

That said, I am surprised just how quiet Newcastle station is. I once described it as a ‘human zoo’, owing to the concentration of well-oiled revellers passing through on a night out. But even that architectural gem the Centurion Bar seems subdued.

I have booked a room at another outstanding building, the Station Hotel. It’s a great example of Victorian style and elegance that could be found at so many railway stations, and nowadays that style comes at a very reasonable price. It is a fitting place to end a full-on day.

Day 6

Today will be less of a rush than others. I have only planned to catch a dozen trains before ending the day north of the border.

I have time to explore Newcastle station first. I can’t help comparing it to Bristol (RAIL 1022), thinking this is how a gateway station should be. It’s proof that you can have great architecture and great facilities, even with listed status, making it one of my favourite major stations.

I leave aboard LNER’s 0849 for Edinburgh, along what is one of the greatest coastal railway journeys in the UK. I also have the ideal weather for it - with wall-to-wall sunshine.

I’ve described the route many times in the past, so for the sake of brevity (and space) I’ll merely mention that if you’re travelling north, try and get a seat on the right-hand side of the train for the most sublime views of the Northumberland and Scottish coasts.

My enjoyment of the trip could have been marred when the Train Manager announced there was no cafe bar service in Standard Class, owing due to an unspecified fault. Thankfully, I had taken the precaution of stocking up on goodies before boarding.

With the Edinburgh festival due to start the next day, my train is heaving with people heading to the city to enjoy the events. I overhear American accents, Japanese, Hindi and Malaysian in my coach alone.

At Berwick, a large hen party joins, adding another dimension to the onboard atmosphere - and noise levels.

Having crossed into Scotland, we make a stop at Dunbar, a station that regained its second platform in 2019, reversing a foolish rationalisation made when the line was electrified in 1987. Sadly, the overall roof remains on the missing list.

I always enjoy my Scottish trips, as there’s normally something new to see. This trip is no exception.

On arrival at Edinburgh Waverley, I fight my way through the throngs of tourists and locals turning the place into a human anthill.

When a six-car Class 158 lash-up arrives at Platform 17, I have to take refuge behind a post to avoid getting swept away by a tsunami of disembarking passengers.

Once the tide abates, I join the front unit which has uncoupled from the others to form the train I am after - the 1104 to Leven.

The set is busy as we leave Waverley, and rammed after calling at Haymarket. A Scottish couple join me on my table, spot my camera and notebook, and strike up a conversation. This leads to me getting a lesson in local pronunciation, after I mispronounce Leven. It’s pronounced ‘leeven’ not ‘leaven’, apparently!

Ours isn’t the only busy train on the network. Eastbound platforms at stations such as Dalmeny, North Queensferry and Inverkeithing are packed with folk waiting for trains into town.

Having crossed the magnificent Forth Bridge into Fife, we pass along a delightful stretch of railway with fantastic views back across the Forth to Edinburgh and beyond.

There are some historic and attractive stations to see, too, such as Aberdour. It retains its 1890s stone buildings, set among gorgeous gardens, plus a listed signal box which has been converted into an artist’s studio.

Shortly after calling at Kircaldy, our train swings onto the branch to Levenmouth, a five-mile section which had only reopened two months before.

It’s an impressive piece of engineering. The route twists and turns to follow the course of the River Ore, leading to lots of track that’s reinforced with extra rail for stabilisation.

The Scots have had the foresight to install passive provision for electrification, having plans in existence and by pre-installing piles for OLE (overhead line equipment) mast bases. It’s a stark contrast to England’s East West Rail, where electrification will cause extra expense and disruption.

There’s only one intermediate on the Leven line - Cameron Bridge, where work continues to complete the car park and other facilities.

Nineteen minutes after leaving Kirkcaldy we arrive at the two-platform station at Leven – which is packed.

Turnaround times are short, which doesn’t give me long to grab a few pictures of the crowds. There is no chance of getting a seat, so my return trip is spent jammed into a vestibule.

I’ll be very interested to see how the first year’s passenger numbers match predictions, as I suspect the real totals will surpass them. Another case of ‘build it and they will come’, perhaps?

Abandoning the train at Kirkcaldy, I make a mad dash for the opposite platform, where a Dundee-bound ‘Turbostar’ has arrived. I make the connection by a hair’s-breadth, thanks to a conductor who reopened the doors for me.

This time I do get a seat, which allows me to appreciate the rolling and fertile countryside.

What’s less attractive is the state of the Class 170, which surprises me as ScotRail always seems to keep its trains up to scratch.

This unit is tired, with a work-stained ceiling and oily fingermarks. It also rattles like an old bus at speed. Still, it gets me to Dundee on time.

I have a while to wait for my next train, so I leave the rebuilt station and head down to the Tay, to get shots of trains passing over the famous bridge. Seeing the structure from afar allows you to appreciate its slender beauty and the size of the river it crosses. Trains - even HSTs - look impossibly small as they traverse its length.

It’s an HST I am here to catch - the 1456 to Glasgow Queen Street.

The ex-GWR Mk 3 coach interiors are a luxury after my last trips, especially as I manage to find a free table bay where I can relax and enjoy the scenery as the train follows the banks of the narrowing river Tay as far as Perth.

Much as I’ve enjoyed the HSTs over the years, there’s no doubt they are overdue for replacement - expensive to operate/maintain and built to 1960s standards. It’s time the railways found something greener and more passenger friendly.

Having filled up en route, the set deposits a respectable number of people at Queen Street, another Scottish station that has vastly improved in recent years. The new frontage and concourse is a great improvement over the 1970s brutalism that hid the station previously.

I walk over to the city’s other mainline terminus - Glasgow Central - to catch a train out to Hyndland, where I have booked a hotel.

Central is another of my favorite stations. The vast acreage of glass roof never fails to impress, as does the ambience and bustle.

Making my way to the Low Level platforms, I catch an old friend (320413). ScotRail received several ex-London Midland Class 321s back in 2016-17, reduced from four to three cars, refurbished internally, and renumbered. ScotRail is the last passenger operator of the old ‘Dusty Bins’.

Having dumped lots of kit at the hotel, I head back into the city to see how the railways cope on a Saturday night, this time catching another old BR-era train (a Class 318) from Anniesland to Queen Street Low Level.

The unit is packed with people heading for a good time in the city. The alcohol ban is widely ignored, with that Scottish favourite ‘Buckfast’ being the tipple of many. Even so, the atmosphere is jolly rather than oppressive.

While not technically part of my remit, I can’t resist a spin on the ‘Clockwork Orange’ - Glasgow’s unique 4ft gauge circular underground system.

Its diminutive old trains have been replaced with equally tiny new ones from Stadler. I catch a couple to get to Partick, but am disappointed by the bumpy, lurching ride - although whether this is due to track or train I don’t know.

At Partick, I caught another train that is unique to Scotland - the Class 334.

Part of the Alstom ‘Coradia’ family, these electric multiple units have been working across the Central Belt since 2001, and they’re pleasant (if unexciting) trains.

Time to rest. Sunday involves getting to Mallaig…

Day 7

Good job I had planned to be up early, as my plans fall apart as soon as I turn on my laptop.

Only the day before, I had checked that all my trains were running, but reality now decrees otherwise, owing to industrial action on ScotRail.

I had intended to explore some more suburban lines before catching the morning service from Queen Street to Mallaig. But it has disappeared from the timetable. So has the afternoon train. The only through train shown is the 1843, which would get me into Mallaig just before midnight!

Muttering under my breath, I look for a Plan B. There is a return working from Mallaig to Crianlarich at 1429, but I have to get there first. Could I get a coach/bus?

The company’s website says they are all full. All I can do is hope they are wrong.

Grabbing my bags, I head back to Anniesland to catch a train to Dumbarton Central. I try hard to enjoy the run along the banks of the Clyde aboard another Class 334, but my mind is busy running through options.

On arrival, I walk out to the A82, where I wait with bated breath to see if the coach has turned up. It does - on time, and there are spare seats. With a sigh of relief, I pay the driver and settle in.

Now, if you’ve ever travelled by road along the bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond, you’ll know why the train is far nicer. The road is narrow, winding, and a coach struggles to fit. But at least it gets me to Crianlarich with time to spare.

I had hoped I might while away an hour in the award-winning cafe at the station, but it’s closed because of economic pressures. However, there’s a local shop where you can stock up on supplies. Back at the station, I wait for the train. I’m the sole person there.

Just before 1330, a pair of Class 156s roll in from the north. A mere handful of people disembark from what would normally be a packed train at this time of year.

Chatting to the conductor, it seems he was expecting a coach to turn up to take folks on to Glasgow, but none did. By departure time, a handful of other passengers have joined me, but when we pull out, I am the sole occupant of the rear car.

This is an utterly surreal experience, traversing one of the most scenic Scottish railways at the height of the season, and I’m the only one in the carriage! I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry…

Ignoring the disastrous economics to the railways and to Scottish tourism, I settle down to enjoy the trip, which is truly stunning in any weather.

I’d love to have space to describe the trip in detail, but such articles are numerous. My highlights are the sublime bleakness, wide skies and welcoming station on Rannoch Moor, and the stunning Monessie Gorge where the railway clings to the edge of the River Spean.

Our arrival at Fort William changes the tempo of the trip. Dozens of people are waiting for our train to take them to Malliag.

This is the part of the trip I have been really looking forward to, as I’ve not travelled this route for donkey’s years.

And I’m not disappointed. Opened on April 1 1901, this 42-mile-long railway is a masterpiece of engineering that boasts a very famous viaduct… Glenfinnan.

Nowadays, this gently curving 20-arch viaduct is synonymous with the Harry Potter franchise, but older readers will associate it with another name - ‘Concrete Bob’ McAlpine.

As my train crosses the viaduct, I am amazed to see how many tourists are lining the valley and hill above, waiting to get pictures of the ‘Jacobite’ steam-hauled train as it makes its way across the structure.

Finally, at 1748, I arrive at journey’s end - a wet and windy Mallaig. After seven days, nearly 80 trains, and having crossed England, Scotland and Wales, my trip is over. Note to self - if RAIL asks you to do this again: next time, don’t end your trip in the far North of Scotland!

So, what was different this year? Three things stood out. Time-keeping, cancellations and staff morale.

A lot of good things are happing with the industry, but there are far too many that aren’t.

I’ve never known a Rover where so many things went wrong. I’d had to adjust my plans on a daily basis owing to network problems, making for a stressful trip.

Imagine what it’s like for ordinary passengers, especially those reliant on trains to get them to/from work? Or those whose businesses are based at railway stations, so are reliant on passengers.

Happy staff are vital to the industry, but it’s clear that many don’t feel appreciated and are retiring early - exacerbating the skills shortage.

Now we have a new government which faces huge challenges in restoring the credibility of the railways, as well as staff morale, relations with the unions, and pride in the job.

Then there’s the elephant in the room - climate change and cutting transport emissions when the railways are already short of capacity and the last government kneecapped HS2.

All that said, and as challenging as my trip was at times, Britain’s railways really are an amazing window on the country - scenically, socially, and economically. With the right political wind and mindset, we could yet see a new golden age for the railways.

For a full version of this article with more images and data, Subscribe today and never miss an issue of RAIL. With a Print + Digital subscription, you’ll get each issue delivered to your door for FREE (UK only). Plus, enjoy an exclusive monthly e-newsletter from the Editor, rewards, discounts and prizes, AND full access to the latest and previous issues via the app.