Travelling The Mayflower Line - Harwich International, Dovercourt & Harwich Town

Join me as I head into Essex to explore the stations of the Mayflower Line! In the second part we visit Harwich International, Dovercourt & Harwich Town!
#railwayenthusiast #railway #railwayhistory #railwaystation #trainenthusiast #history #sarah #trains #essex
Filmed on 15th June 2024
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[@nwsimon]

There is something uniquely fascinating about a place with faded grandeur. Harwich used to the station that linked London with Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, Warsaw, even Moscow, with proper IC trains. It is also one of only two (maybe 3) stations in the UK to have had a EuroCity service - the international services that replaced the Trans-Europe-Express. EC trains are reduced in Western Europe now, largely replaced by high speed, but for me they are the most romantic type of train, in their heyday they linked different European countries with varying locos and rolling stock. They were introduced in 1987, and for the first year of their existence, 1 London-Harwich--Hoek-Amsterdam connection and 1 vice-versa had this classification, with the services named Admiraal de Ruijter and Bemjamin Britten. It's not quite the same as back then but it's still a fun way to travel, beats flying any day.

[@roderickmain9697]

In the mid 80s I was working in Holland (near the Hague). Harwich - Hoek Van Holland was an obvious choice. Grab the boat train from Liverpools street and Bob is my uncle. Been through there so many times ...as Harwich Parkestone Quay.

[@TransportVloggerIan]

Awesome, might have to look into these stations when I come up the GEML later this year.......... I said nothing, you heard nothing

[@Thornaby37]

Excellent video Sarah, very informative I totally agree with Brian about the 720s

[@MarkBinning]

Great video Sarah, though you seem a bit unlucky with the weather. 😊

[@alanreader4815]

Great video Sarah. Hi Brian...See you on a train one day.

[@leigh_doing_stuff]

I don't understand how I was not subscribed already! Happy to see you! Nice video 😁

[@NorthWestLevelCrossingsChannel]

Excellent video as always 👍

[@carlwilson1772]

Great video Sarah. Seems you were struggling with wind and rain. Shame those lovely old station buildings haven't been repurposed. There was a definite air of atrophy in some of the places you visited. Also, I don't know why but I seem to find port towns feel a bit seedy.

[@mancroft]

Very interesting as usual, Sarah. Thank you.

[@ReecesTrains]

Great video, Sarah! Like with the first video of this line, I enjoyed it!

[@jaybee1921]

Hi Sarah, I used to use that station a lot up to 5 years ago and I have overnighted at both Harwich Int' and Dovercourt. There is more to both those areas than you had time to explore. It would have been a different film if I had been there...lol'...You were correct about the sea-mine and the fountain. There were moves/efforts to re-open the old Eastern Counties Bus Depot, which seem to have come to nought. Good video overall, well done. Take care, Jon B.

[@PeterSmith-j5p]

It was an Eastern National garage. We had to cross the river to encounter Eastern Counties buses or travel to Manningtree which was on the route for Ipswich / Clacton and Ipswich / Colchester services.

[@ianr]

Brilliant video again! 👍🙂

[@lastofthebrownies]

Years ago I had a job interview at the school in Dovercourt. It was quite run down… I withdrew from the process quite quickly…

[@MichaelSebastianTodd]

im liking all the stations & Harwich looks amazing & looks like a nice town to visit brilliant vlog

[@Sim0nTrains]

Great video Sarah, there some nice station buildings on this route as well

[@QALibrary]

I forgot the last time I was at Manningtree station it been that long ago

[@chriswade7470]

No mention of the LNER train ferry dock at Harwich.

[@ReubenAshwell]

Brilliant video Sarah, there are some nice stations on this route which I ought to do someday. I wouldn't call that Bus station at Harwich a bus station, just a bus stop judging by it's standards lol.

[@mpol701]

I use it every year for my Clacton holiday I get bus to and from there, eat and drink on Harwich pier watching the boats

[@mpol701]

I use the station with the bus stop in front use to be a bus station with a shed for buses I think, not been to that other Harwich only the single platform one

[@SBCBears]

Hi Sarah

[@fussyboy2000]

What an awful day for making a video! There used to be an excellent chippie at Dovercourt.

[@martyn6792]

When and from where did they single the line ? Interesting video as have no knowledge of that line

[@PeterSmith-j5p]

The up line between Parkeston and Harwich Town became bi-directional when the overhead wires went up. The old down line was left in-situ, but without wires and gradually fell into disuse.

[@martyn6792]

@@PeterSmith-j5p why no wires on both lines or was there a plan to single anyway, I'm near Ipswich lowestoft line and that was singled on alot of it

[@PeterSmith-j5p]

@@martyn6792 the need for the second line had basically disappeared with the closure of the train ferry service from Harwich and also other freight movements [ trade car deliveries ] had also gone. The hourly branch service from Manningtree doesn't need more than a single line, and the ferry related direct services to L.Street and the extended Ipswich / Cambridge and Lowestoft services terminate / start from Parkeston.

[@martyn6792]

@@PeterSmith-j5p Thanks for the explanation