Guest blog: Walking the coast by rail – by RailWalks.co.uk
Ever wondered how much of Britain’s coastline you can walk between railway stations? In this inspiring walking the coast by rail guest blog, Railwalks.co.uk founder, Steve Melia, shares their recent 600-mile journey along eight coastal regions, all connected by rail.
From cliff-top paths to reclaimed mining landscapes, it’s a story of scenic discovery, resilience, and the joy of walking with the train as your companion. Whether you’re planning a short stroll or a long-distance adventure, this blog shows how rail makes coastal walking more accessible than ever.
Walking the coast by rail by Railwalks.co.uk founder Steve Melia
How much of Britain’s coast can you walk between railway stations? Quite a lot, we discovered when we decided to map the coastline as part of Railwalks.co.uk. There are 250 stations along the coast, most of them are close enough to walk between in a day. You can see where they are, and find out more, here.
Once those walks were published, I was keen to give them a try, and so, in May 2025 I set out on the Coastal Railtrail, a 600-mile walk around eight stretches of the coast well-served by rail. Over two and a half months, I climbed cliffs, followed beaches, photographed wildlife and discovered great beauty in unexpected places.
Steve and Sara Melia on the Cumbrian Coast
26 other Railwalks supporters joined me at different points (including my wife, Sara), usually for one day, near where they live. Some of those people came from community rail partnerships along the route. The shortest days were just three miles, the longest was 19. As each day started and finished at a railway station our key message to local people was: you can walk this any time.
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
If you have ever set out on a long journey, planned in advance, you may have experienced that twinge of anxiety when events threaten to wreck your plans. A few days into the Coastal Railtrail two things went wrong: I lost my wallet and then climbing the stairs with my heavy pack at the end of a 15-mile walk, my Achilles tendons began to click, as if they were about to tear. I found an article about ‘tendinopathy’ online: the inflammation which causes that clicking requires time and rest to heal, it said. But my timetable was fixed; rest would mean abandonment.
Three changes helped to me continue: heel lifts from a local pharmacy, some exercises and most importantly: rearranging my accommodation to minimise walking with the heavy pack. This is a key advantage of long-distance walking by rail: you don’t have to carry your stuff every day. You can stay in one place for several nights, and take the train to and from the walk each day. On your rest days, you can carry your stuff on the train to a new base. That’s mostly what I did from then on.
Two problems which never threatened the walk were delays or cancellations. I kept a record: 93% of my trains were on time, to within a few minutes, and none of the three cancellations made much difference to my plans. After 15 years of walking by rail I can now say: they very rarely do.
Beauty in Unexpected Places
On this page, I have chosen my eight top walks on the trip, one from each region. Some of them are well-known, and some I had walked before, but many were new to me and quite unexpected. Three of the regions, Cumbria, Southeast Scotland and Northeast England, included former mining areas, evoking grim memories from years ago. But when humans clear up the mess they have made, nature can work very quickly to reclaim the land. The Durham Coast stands out in this respect. The reopening of Horden station in 2020 reinstated a missing link on this gem of a coast. Try walking it before the rest of the world discovers what they have been missing.
Train running along the Duddon Estuary with Millom in the distance.
About Railwalks.co.uk
Railwalks.co.uk was created by a group of walkers to promote walking from and between railway stations. Its website now lists over a thousand walks by rail all over the country. If that interests you, then why not join their mailing list and Facebook group. The Coastal Railtrail was sponsored by Trainsplit.com.
Steve’s journey along Britain’s coast is a powerful reminder of how rail travel opens up opportunities for exploration, connection, and sustainable adventure. Whether you’re tackling a long-distance trail or enjoying a short seaside stroll, walking by rail makes it easier to discover the beauty and diversity of our coastline, car-free.
For more inspiration on walking and wheeling adventures across Britain, visit https://scenicrailbritain.com/tracksandtrails and be inspired for your next trip by train.
