S7ven of the best train journeys
Cutting through the countryside connecting a country’s great cities, the world’s best railway journeys offer an entirely new perspective on destinations. Steam, diesel and electricity train travel has always been a firm favourite with its passengers, to even a love affair with some.
The “only bar car in the world serving draught Guinness” is The Emerald Isle Explorer. This steam traction engine ended its regular services south of the Irish border in 1962 and 1970 in the north. The renovated luxury locomotive was recently in Cork as part of a 9-day trip, where it ferried passengers around Ireland, giving them an opportunity to visit a selection of The Emerald Isle..
The Flying Scotsman, an express passenger train service that operated between Edinburgh and London, the capitals respectively of Scotland and England, via the East Coast Main Line. It began service in 1862 as the Special Scotch Express until it was officially adopted in 1924. Now it is currently operated by the London North Eastern Railway. This famous train became the first steam locomotive to reach 100mph and circumnavigated the globe after its retirement.
Next comes the famed and infamous Orient Express. a long-distance passenger luxury train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL) which operated until 2009. Travelling the length of continental Europe, with stops in Paris in the northwest and Istanbul. It initially covered a route of more than 1,700 miles (about 2,740 km) that included brief stopovers in Munich, Vienna, and Budapest. This train was so famous that they made films, books and songs about it.
Japan’s Shinkansen (Bullet Train) trains runs on a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital. The first route was the TōkaidōShinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka, completed ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Valued for its speed, accuracy on time, comfort, safety and efficiency. the shinkansen can run at speeds of up to 320 km/h, carrying thousands of people across the country daily..
Starting daily in Ho Chi Minh City and ending in Hanoi, The reunification express travels across much of Vietnam. Its journey takes 2 days and covers around 1,072 miles. It’s a fascinating experience. You rumble through streets in Hanoi, over the Hai Van Pass near Danang, and through endless fields of rice and dusty little towns.. It adds character to your travels, and as one of Southeast Asia’s best-loved railways its an epic overnight train journey. There’s no better way to enter these twin cities than travelling through the many historic places and alongside spectacular coastlines.
The Tanzara Railway, a collaboration between Tanzania and Zambia from Dar es Salem and ending in Kapiri Maposi (both ways), is a twice weekly journey of 1160 miles and takes about 46 hours. It’s fair to say that only a few trains in the world can offer the chance where you can see wildlife, beautiful countryside, fantastic views all at your seat.
Finally, The Colombo to Badulla is one of the most truly unforgettable journeys ever. This daily train journey which covers a distance of some 181 miles, takes between 9 – 10 hours. But oh what a journey! From urban sea levels to the hill top tea plantations, via brain spinning doses of jungles and forests, paddy fields and palms, mountains and valleys, taking in National Parks. The train moves slowly (understandable so), but you will be able to enjoy the most scenic train journey in the world.
