Riding the UK’s Less-Than-Ordinary Railway Routes

We live in an age of time zone jumping super-speed air travel, where we can zip from one side of the globe to the other in the space of a day at most. But still nothing beats the romance of the trains, yesteryear’s transportation of choice – and all the better if it’s a near extinct route that you’re tracing, or just a particularly scenic section of track. Though the UK’s railway infrastructure was largely dismantled in the 1960s, Britain still has its fair share of less than ordinary journeys.

THE LOOE VALLEY BRANCH LINE

Looe Valley train. Photo credit: roger geach via Wikimedia Commons.

The small fishing town of Looe in England, in southeast Cornwall, is connected to the mainline rail network by a small branch line with just one track. After whizzing down from London, past Plymouth and towards Liskeard, the pace of things quickly slows down as trees brush past the windows, sheep appear outside and the single carriage – two in the peak summer season, if you’re lucky – inches its way towards the sea, a nine mile trip that takes around a half hour.

Even those who consider themselves train buffs are in for a surprise on this line, as it uniquely turns back on itself half way. Following one set of track out from Liskeard, the train then pulls in at probably one of the country’s quietest stations, Coombe Junction Halt – as few as 32 passengers use it each year – and the conductor climbs down from the train to change the points on the track. The driver leaves his cab at one end of the carriage and walks to the other, the conductor climbs back on and the train gets on the move again – headed to Looe, but leaving plenty of passengers thinking they’ve missed their stop and are already on their return trip back to Liskeard.

The journey traces the local river through the valley to its mouth at Looe, and there is plenty to see en route in the way of nature and secluded countryside hamlets whose stations – there are more intermediate stops in all – barely see a few visitors a day. For more than a window view, jump off at any of the stations and take a wander between them, hopping back on the train when you’ve done enough walking. Services run at up to roughly hourly intervals, though there can be significant gaps at times – and all of the stations in between Liskeard and Looe are request stops, so be sure to let the conductor know promptly if you want to get off, and likewise put your hand out to flag down the train at a station!

One or two pubs dot the line if some refreshment is in order, and the wishing well and Magnificent Music Machines museum are worth a look and easily accessible from St Keyne station. Duloe Stone Circle, the smallest in Cornwall, is five miles from Looe – signposted from the road, it can be reached from Sandplace station.