Birmingham train journey named UK's most scenic

The research by CrossCountry found that the Birmingham to Bristol train journey was regarded as the most scenic in the country because of its amazing contrasts: taking passengers quickly from the industrial centre of the West Midlands and quickly transforming the view from the window into the stunning Worcestershire countryside and the edge of the Cotswolds, before quickly arriving in the commercial heart of the South West.

Scotland was a very popular choice, with the Edinburgh to Aberdeen journey coming second, with the train journey passing over the much-loved Forth bridge, through the Kingdom of Fife and across the 'silvery Tay' into Dundee and up the scenic east coast of Scotland to the Granite City.

Although tenth on the list, the impressive journey between Leamington Spa and Reading was highly commended for its fine examples of 'classic' English countryside, taking passengers through the counties of Warwickshire and Oxfordshire before following the Thames into Berkshire.

Andy Cooper, Managing Director at CrossCountry said: "It is easy to forget how beautiful the British countryside is when travelling by car, but a train gives you the perfect opportunity to enjoy the views while relaxing in comfort.

"So many of the people we asked cited increasing congestion on Britain's busy motorways and high petrol costs, as the main reasons they had stopped enjoying long car journeys. Travelling by train can be much more pleasant an alternative, and with so many cheap tickets available there's never been a better time to remind yourself of the great scenery you can see from a CrossCountry train window."

CrossCountry's top ten most attractive rail journeys

1. Birmingham to Bristol (through Cheltenham Spa and Gloucester)

Journey through the stunning Worcestershire countryside and by-pass the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire

2. Edinburgh to Aberdeen

Leaving Edinburgh and pass over the much-loved Forth Bridge, through the Kingdom of Fife and across the "silvery Tay" into Dundee and up the scenic east coast of Scotland to the Granite City

3. Penzance to Exeter

Amazing views of the romantic Westcountry, crossing Brunel's iconic Royal Albert bridge into Devon and finally passing over the impressive sea wall at Dawlish and on to Exeter

4. Newcastle to Edinburgh

Pass stunning costal scenery on the Scottish borders passing through Berwick-upon-Tweed and then into the historic capital of Scotland

5. Peterborough to Cambridge

A relatively short journey through picturesque Cambridgeshire where one of the UK's most stunning cities awaits

6. Manchester to Bournemouth

Leaving Manchester and passing through Staffordshire and Warwickshire towards the Dorset coast

7. Cheltenham to Exeter

Beginning the journey in the Cotswolds and passing by the popular resort of Weston-Super-Mare en-route to Exeter

8. Derby to York

Leaving the East Midlands and into Yorkshire on approach to the medieval town of York

9. Nottingham to Cardiff

Take in the impressive Seven Estuary and luscious Welsh countryside

10. Leamington Spa to Reading

View classic English countryside and stunning waterways

Please find notes to Editors, CrossCountry facts and figures below.

For more information feel free to contact us on 0121 2006115 or by email to [email protected]

CrossCountry has moved offices. Our new address is CrossCountry Communications Department, 5th Floor, Cannon House, Priory Queensway, Birmingham B4 6BS

Notes to editors

CrossCountry started operating on 11 November 2007. The franchise, which is the most extensive in the UK, will run until 31 March 2016. For further information on CrossCountry services and future franchise plans log on to www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

CrossCountry facts and figures

STATIONS SERVED: 131
ROUTE MILES: 1,654
WEEKDAY SERVICES: 288
PASSENGERS CARRIED: Over 30 million passenger journeys a year anticipated
ANNUAL TRAIN MILEAGE: Approximately 16 million
EMPLOYEES: Approximately 1,800
LONGEST TRAIN SERVICE: Penzance to Dundee (701 miles)

CrossCountry is part of the Arriva group which operates transport services in ten European countries, employs more than 38,000 people and provides more than one billion passenger journeys every year. For more information about the Arriva group visit www.arriva.co.uk

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Contact Information

CrossCountry Press Office: [email protected]

About CrossCountry

CrossCountry is a long-distance passenger train operator, with a network stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff and calling at over 100 stations. Based in Birmingham, CrossCountry connects seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities and delivers 240 services every weekday, equating to over 42 million passenger journeys each year.

For further information on CrossCountry services, visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk or visit one of our social media platforms via X @crosscountryuk or Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains