Another Year, Another Aim

 In a somewhat more relaxed way than 2022's UK Rail Tour , for 2023 I'm going to take the 15 most frequently recommended scenic journeys in mainland UK.

I Googled "UK most scenic rail journeys" and noted all those mentioned which were listed in the regular Network Rail timetables i.e. not private, not narrow guage, not steam hauled, as follows:

• Newcastle - Edinburgh
• Edinburgh - Inverness
• Inverness - Thurso
• Inverness - Kyle
• Inverness - Aberdeen
• Aberdeen - Edinburgh (part)
• Glasgow - Mallaig
• Carnforth - Carlisle
• Carlisle - Settle
• Grindleford - Bamford
• Shrewsbury - Pwllheli
• Craven Arms - Llanelli
• Exeter - Newton Abbot
• St Erth - St Ives
• Hereford - Oxford

I've had three major attempts at putting together a schedule that's practical and reasonably robust. The main thing is that, unlike last year's tour which was planned around rather restrictive rules, this year there's a somewhat more relaxed attitude: some days may be swopped if the weather or my well-being so dictates. 

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This Aim will have to be Another Year

 Health

I've had voice problems, enough to take me to the hospital. After various tests they pronounced cancer of the larynx and put me on a speedy list at Guy's Cancer near London Bridge.

Now I've finished the six weeks of radiotherapy, every weekday, and there will follow a few weeks of after effects, the worst of which seems to be complete loss of appetite, almost an aversion to food. 

I've been watching how my planned train tour progressed. Not good!

Day 2 (10 Jly): The train returning from Wick to Inverness was, for some reason unknown to me, rescheduled not to call at Thurso where I would have been waiting. It was the last train of the day. If I had discovered this within a short time of arriving, I could have caught a bus to catch the train at Georgemas Junction. Or maybe a cab. Otherwise, find a hotel, my gear is all in Inverness hotel, leave on first train and change at Dingwall for the planned Kyle train. A really bad start to the tour.

Day 11 (19 Jly): A points failure at Dovey Junction stopped all trains between Aberystwyth (where I would have been) and Shrewsbury (my hotel). However, the local T2 bus would have got me to the train at Machynlleth in good time.

Day 12 (20 Jly): There are rail strikes and my route from Swansea to Exeter is not possible at all.  I would have to get two trains to Bristol Temple Meads, a room in the Hilton Hotel near the station, and the 8:45 train to Exeter in the morning. Then I could catch the 10:12 to St Erth as planned.

Day 14 (22 Jly): More rail strikes, lucky I wasn't actually travelling. Today no trains on Hereford to Oxford line so that scenic route has to be missed. Would have to return to Newport and get train to Paddington. Problems don't stop there because no trains from Abbey Wood to Lewisham so change from the Elizabeth line to the Overground at Whitechapel and take train to Brockley, then 484 bus home.

So, it seems I am very lucky not to have been travelling this year. There would have been two extra hotels to pay for as it was too late to cancel the Exeter one and all my gear was still in the Inverness hotel where I would have been staying the following night. Also, the Hereford to Oxford scenic journey would have been missed.

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Better luck next year!