id,name,from,to,category,train,operator,distance_km,top_speed_kmh,duration,opened,pax_per_year,countries_iso,countries,highlight,fame_rank,url
eurostar-london-paris,Eurostar,London,Paris,high-speed,e320 · Class 374,Eurostar,492,300,2 h 16 min,1994,7500000,GB|FR,United Kingdom|France,Drops 75 m below the sea through the 50.5 km Channel Tunnel — the world’s longest undersea rail tunnel.,19,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eurostar-london-paris/
tgv-paris-marseille,TGV inOui,Paris,Marseille,high-speed,TGV Duplex,SNCF Voyageurs,750,320,3 h 05 min,1981,3500000,FR,France,France’s original 1981 LGV forms the first leg; today the TGV holds 320 km/h nearly all the way to the Mediterranean.,127,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-marseille/
ave-madrid-barcelona,AVE,Madrid,Barcelona,high-speed,S-103 Velaro E,Renfe · Ouigo · iryo,621,310,2 h 30 min,2008,9000000,ES,Spain,Scheduled at 310 km/h — Europe’s fastest timetable — this line flipped one of the world’s busiest air routes to rail.,69,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-barcelona/
ave-madrid-seville,AVE,Madrid,Seville,high-speed,S-100 (Alstom),Renfe,471,300,2 h 20 min,1992,3000000,ES,Spain,"Spain’s first AVE, built for Expo ’92 in standard gauge — the line that reset Spanish railways.",211,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-seville/
ice-berlin-munich,ICE Sprinter,Berlin,Munich,high-speed,ICE 3,Deutsche Bahn,623,300,3 h 55 min,2017,5000000,DE,Germany,The €10bn VDE 8 project: 26 tunnels and 37 viaducts through the Thuringian Forest halved the Berlin–Munich journey.,92,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-berlin-munich/
ice-cologne-frankfurt,ICE,Cologne,Frankfurt,high-speed,ICE 3neo,Deutsche Bahn,180,300,1 h 04 min,2002,,DE,Germany,A roller-coaster alignment beside the A3 autobahn with 40 ‰ grades — only the most powerful ICE sets are cleared for it.,625,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-cologne-frankfurt/
frecciarossa-milan-rome,Frecciarossa,Milan,Rome,high-speed,Frecciarossa 1000,Trenitalia · Italo,562,300,2 h 59 min,2009,8000000,IT,Italy,"Italy’s flagship corridor: since 2009 the airlines’ share has collapsed, and the ETR 1000 is engineered for 360 km/h.",91,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-milan-rome/
eurostar-paris-amsterdam,Eurostar (Thalys),Paris,Amsterdam,high-speed,TGV PBKA,Eurostar,545,300,3 h 20 min,1996,3000000,FR|BE|NL,France|Belgium|Netherlands,"The crimson Thalys — folded into Eurostar in 2023 — chains French, Belgian and Dutch high-speed lines into one dash.",121,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eurostar-paris-amsterdam/
lner-london-edinburgh,LNER Azuma,London,Edinburgh,classic,Class 800 Azuma,LNER,632,201,4 h 20 min,1862,,GB,United Kingdom,The Flying Scotsman’s route since 1862 — and where Mallard set the never-beaten steam record of 203 km/h in 1938.,441,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lner-london-edinburgh/
alfa-lisbon-porto,Alfa Pendular,Lisbon,Porto,classic,CP 4000 Pendolino,Comboios de Portugal,336,220,2 h 50 min,1999,,PT,Portugal,A tilting Pendolino leaning through the curves of the 19th-century Linha do Norte between Portugal’s two great cities.,683,https://trainrouter.com/routes/alfa-lisbon-porto/
eip-warsaw-krakow,EIP Pendolino,Warsaw,Kraków,classic,ED250 Pendolino,PKP Intercity,293,200,2 h 21 min,2014,,PL,Poland,"Rides Poland’s 1970s Central Main Line (CMK), engineered decades ahead of its time and now being upgraded to 250 km/h.",697,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eip-warsaw-krakow/
railjet-vienna-budapest,Railjet,Vienna,Budapest,classic,Railjet,ÖBB · MÁV,243,230,2 h 20 min,2008,,AT|HU,Austria|Hungary,Follows the old Orient Express alignment down the Danube plain — centre to centre faster than any flight.,705,https://trainrouter.com/routes/railjet-vienna-budapest/
x2000-stockholm-gothenburg,SJ X2000,Stockholm,Gothenburg,classic,X2 tilting EMU,SJ,455,200,3 h 05 min,1990,,SE,Sweden,"Sweden’s tilting flagship since 1990, sprinting the Western Main Line between the country’s two biggest cities.",663,https://trainrouter.com/routes/x2000-stockholm-gothenburg/
nightjet-paris-vienna,Nightjet,Paris,Vienna,night,Nightjet sleeper,ÖBB · SNCF,1200,200,≈ 14 h,2021,,FR|DE|AT,France|Germany|Austria,"Revived in 2021 after a 14-year gap: dinner near the Eiffel Tower, breakfast on the Danube.",61,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nightjet-paris-vienna/
euronight-stockholm-hamburg,EuroNight,Stockholm,Hamburg,night,EuroNight sleeper,SJ,1150,200,≈ 13 h,2022,,SE|DK|DE,Sweden|Denmark|Germany,"Scandinavia’s night-train revival — across the Öresund while you sleep, into Germany by breakfast.",403,https://trainrouter.com/routes/euronight-stockholm-hamburg/
santa-claus-express,Santa Claus Express,Helsinki,Rovaniemi,night,Double-deck sleeper,VR,900,160,≈ 12 h,1909,,FI,Finland,Rolls out of Helsinki by night and crosses into Lapland by morning — sleepers and car carriers bound for the Arctic Circle.,329,https://trainrouter.com/routes/santa-claus-express/
vsoe-paris-venice,Venice Simplon-Orient-Express,Paris,Venice,night,1920s CIWL carriages,Belmond,1270,160,≈ 21 h,1982,,FR|CH|AT|IT,France|Switzerland|Austria|Italy,Belmond’s restored Art Deco sleepers of the 1920s–30s — black tie encouraged as the Alps slide past the champagne bar.,3,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vsoe-paris-venice/
glacier-express,Glacier Express,Zermatt,St. Moritz,scenic,Panorama cars · metre gauge,RhB · MGB,291,90,≈ 8 h,1930,250000,CH,Switzerland,"“The world’s slowest express”: 291 bridges, 91 tunnels and the 2,033 m Oberalp Pass at an average of 36 km/h.",2,https://trainrouter.com/routes/glacier-express/
bernina-express,Bernina Express,Chur,Tirano,scenic,Allegra panorama,RhB,144,70,≈ 4 h,1910,400000,CH|IT,Switzerland|Italy,"A UNESCO World Heritage railway: 7 % grades with no rack, the Brusio spiral, and the highest rail crossing of the Alps at 2,253 m.",4,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bernina-express/
bergensbanen,Bergensbanen,Oslo,Bergen,scenic,Vy long-distance,Vy,496,160,6 h 30 min,1909,1000000,NO,Norway,"Northern Europe’s highest main line — over the bare Hardangervidda plateau at 1,237 m, through 182 tunnels.",50,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bergensbanen/
west-highland-line,West Highland Line,Glasgow,Mallaig,scenic,Class 156 · Jacobite steam,ScotRail,264,100,5 h 20 min,1901,,GB,United Kingdom,Regularly voted the world’s most scenic railway — around Rannoch Moor and over the 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct of film fame.,24,https://trainrouter.com/routes/west-highland-line/
tokaido-shinkansen,Tokaido Shinkansen,Tokyo,Osaka,high-speed,N700S,JR Central,515,285,2 h 21 min,1964,150000000,JP,Japan,"The original bullet train, opened for the 1964 Olympics — the world’s busiest high-speed line, with departures every few minutes past Mount Fuji.",5,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tokaido-shinkansen/
beijing-shanghai-hsr,Jinghu High-Speed,Beijing,Shanghai,high-speed,CR400 Fuxing,China Railway,1318,350,4 h 18 min,2011,200000000,CN,China,"The world’s fastest scheduled trains — 350 km/h Fuxing sets covering 1,318 km in under four and a half hours.",55,https://trainrouter.com/routes/beijing-shanghai-hsr/
trans-siberian,Trans-Siberian Railway,Moscow,Vladivostok,night,Rossiya № 1/2,RZD,9289,120,≈ 7 days,1916,,RU,Russia,"The longest railway on Earth: 9,289 km, eight time zones and seven nights between Moscow and the Pacific.",1,https://trainrouter.com/routes/trans-siberian/
qinghai-tibet,Qinghai–Tibet Railway,Xining,Lhasa,scenic,Oxygen-enriched coaches,China Railway,1956,100,≈ 21 h,2006,,CN,China,"The roof-of-the-world railway — 5,072 m over the Tanggula Pass on permafrost, with oxygen piped to every seat.",14,https://trainrouter.com/routes/qinghai-tibet/
ktx-seoul-busan,KTX,Seoul,Busan,high-speed,KTX-Sancheon,Korail,417,305,2 h 15 min,2004,,KR,South Korea,Korea’s TGV-derived flagship halved the Seoul–Busan run — today the corridor is one of the most intensively served on Earth.,78,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ktx-seoul-busan/
rajdhani-delhi-mumbai,Mumbai Rajdhani,New Delhi,Mumbai,night,Tejas Rajdhani rake,Indian Railways,1384,140,≈ 16 h,1972,,IN,India,"India’s first Rajdhani — the overnight flagship linking the capital with the financial capital, now in bright Tejas livery.",394,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rajdhani-delhi-mumbai/
acela-boston-washington,Acela,Boston,"Washington, D.C.",high-speed,Avelia Liberty,Amtrak,735,240,≈ 6 h 45 min,2000,3500000,US,United States,America’s fastest train threads the dense Northeast Corridor — 240 km/h bursts between five major downtowns.,65,https://trainrouter.com/routes/acela-boston-washington/
california-zephyr,California Zephyr,Chicago,San Francisco,scenic,Amtrak Superliner,Amtrak,3924,127,≈ 52 h,1949,400000,US,United States,"Two nights, seven states: through the Rockies’ canyons and over Donner Pass — widely called America’s most beautiful train ride.",12,https://trainrouter.com/routes/california-zephyr/
rocky-mountaineer,Rocky Mountaineer,Vancouver,Banff,scenic,GoldLeaf dome cars,Rocky Mountaineer,957,100,"2 days, daylight only",1990,,CA,Canada,"All-daylight luxury through the Canadian Rockies — glass-domed coaches, an overnight hotel stop and the Kicking Horse Pass.",7,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rocky-mountaineer/
cusco-machu-picchu,Cusco–Machu Picchu,Cusco,Machu Picchu,scenic,Vistadome panorama,PeruRail,92,50,≈ 3 h 30 min,1928,,PE,Peru,Down the Sacred Valley of the Incas beside the Urubamba rapids — the rails are the only road to Machu Picchu.,9,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cusco-machu-picchu/
blue-train,The Blue Train,Pretoria,Cape Town,night,Luxury sleeper stock,Transnet,1600,90,≈ 31 h,1946,,ZA,South Africa,"A five-star hotel on rails — butlers, marble bathrooms and the Karoo semi-desert rolling past for 1,600 km.",16,https://trainrouter.com/routes/blue-train/
al-boraq,Al Boraq,Tangier,Casablanca,high-speed,Alstom Euroduplex,ONCF,323,320,2 h 10 min,2018,3000000,MA,Morocco,"Africa’s first high-speed railway — 320 km/h along the Atlantic between Tangier and Casablanca, named after a mythical steed.",106,https://trainrouter.com/routes/al-boraq/
the-ghan,The Ghan,Adelaide,Darwin,night,Expedition sleeper,Journey Beyond,2979,115,≈ 54 h,2004,,AU,Australia,"Named for the Afghan cameleers — 2,979 km straight through the Red Centre, completed to Darwin only in 2004.",6,https://trainrouter.com/routes/the-ghan/
indian-pacific,Indian Pacific,Sydney,Perth,night,Expedition sleeper,Journey Beyond,4352,115,≈ 65 h,1970,,AU,Australia,Ocean to ocean across Australia — including the world’s longest railway straight: 478 dead-level kilometres on the Nullarbor.,21,https://trainrouter.com/routes/indian-pacific/
tranzalpine,TranzAlpine,Christchurch,Greymouth,scenic,AK panorama cars,KiwiRail,223,100,≈ 5 h,1987,200000,NZ,New Zealand,"Coast to coast across the Southern Alps — the Waimakariri gorges, Arthur’s Pass and the 8.5 km Otira Tunnel in one morning.",39,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tranzalpine/
tgv-paris-bordeaux,TGV inOui,Paris,Bordeaux,high-speed,TGV Duplex,SNCF Voyageurs,581,320,2 h 04 min,2017,,FR,France,The LGV Sud Europe Atlantique put Bordeaux’s vineyards two hours from Paris — and emptied the air shuttle.,570,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-bordeaux/
tgv-paris-strasbourg,TGV Est,Paris,Strasbourg,high-speed,TGV Euroduplex,SNCF Voyageurs,439,320,1 h 46 min,2007,,FR,France,Where a modified TGV hit 574.8 km/h in 2007 — still the world rail speed record for steel wheels.,591,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-strasbourg/
ave-madrid-valencia,AVE,Madrid,Valencia,high-speed,S-112 “Pato”,Renfe · Ouigo · iryo,391,300,1 h 40 min,2010,,ES,Spain,Madrid to the Mediterranean paella coast in 100 minutes aboard the duck-nosed “Pato”.,600,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-valencia/
ave-madrid-malaga,AVE,Madrid,Málaga,high-speed,S-102 Talgo 350,Renfe · iryo,513,300,2 h 20 min,2007,,ES,Spain,Splits from the Seville line at Córdoba and dives through the Sierra to the Costa del Sol.,580,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-malaga/
frecciarossa-rome-naples,Frecciarossa,Rome,Naples,high-speed,Frecciarossa 1000,Trenitalia · Italo,225,300,1 h 10 min,2005,,IT,Italy,Italy’s first true alta velocità line — Vesuvius on the horizon barely an hour after leaving Rome.,620,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-rome-naples/
ice-hamburg-berlin,ICE,Hamburg,Berlin,classic,ICE 4,Deutsche Bahn,286,230,1 h 45 min,1846,,DE,Germany,Germany’s busiest city pair rides an alignment opened in 1846 — dead straight across the northern plain.,479,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-hamburg-berlin/
caledonian-sleeper,Caledonian Sleeper,London,Fort William,night,Mk 5 sleeper,Caledonian Sleeper,966,140,≈ 13 h,1873,,GB,United Kingdom,"The “Deerstalker Express”: fall asleep at Euston, wake up crossing Rannoch Moor with red deer at the window.",62,https://trainrouter.com/routes/caledonian-sleeper/
flamsbana,Flåmsbana,Myrdal,Flåm,scenic,El 18-hauled panorama,Vy · Flåm AS,20,40,≈ 1 h,1940,1000000,NO,Norway,"One of the steepest adhesion railways on Earth — 864 m down to the fjord in 20 km, waterfalls at the window.",8,https://trainrouter.com/routes/flamsbana/
rhine-valley,Rhine Valley Line,Mainz,Koblenz,scenic,MittelrheinBahn,DB · trans regio,92,120,≈ 1 h 30 min,1859,,DE,Germany,Castle after castle past the Lorelei rock — the left bank of the Rhine is one long UNESCO postcard.,287,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rhine-valley/
semmering-railway,Semmeringbahn,Vienna,Graz,scenic,Railjet,ÖBB,224,230,2 h 35 min,1854,,AT,Austria,The world’s first true mountain railway (1854) and a UNESCO site — 16 viaducts built before the age of dynamite.,49,https://trainrouter.com/routes/semmering-railway/
belgrade-bar,Belgrade–Bar Railway,Belgrade,Bar,scenic,ŽS / ŽPCG loco-hauled,Srbija Voz · ŽPCG,476,80,≈ 11 h,1976,,RS|ME,Serbia|Montenegro,"254 tunnels, 435 bridges and the vertigo-inducing Mala Rijeka viaduct — Yugoslavia’s engineering swan song.",348,https://trainrouter.com/routes/belgrade-bar/
nightjet-vienna-zurich,Nightjet,Vienna,Zurich,night,Nightjet sleeper,ÖBB,780,200,≈ 9 h,2016,,AT|CH,Austria|Switzerland,"The founding route of the Nightjet brand — over the Arlberg while you sleep, Alps at both ends.",421,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nightjet-vienna-zurich/
gotthard-zurich-milan,Gotthard Express,Zurich,Milan,classic,Giruno / Astoro,SBB · Trenitalia,280,200,3 h 17 min,2016,,CH|IT,Switzerland|Italy,Threads the 57.1 km Gotthard Base Tunnel — the longest and deepest railway tunnel on the planet.,699,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gotthard-zurich-milan/
arctic-stockholm-narvik,Arctic Circle Train,Stockholm,Narvik,night,Vy sleeper,Vy Tåg,1470,135,≈ 18 h,1902,,SE|NO,Sweden|Norway,Crosses the Arctic Circle bound for the aurora — the Iron Ore Line’s fjord finale into Narvik is pure drama.,324,https://trainrouter.com/routes/arctic-stockholm-narvik/
sapsan-moscow-petersburg,Sapsan,Moscow,St. Petersburg,high-speed,Siemens Velaro RUS,RZD,650,250,3 h 30 min,2009,5000000,RU,Russia,The “Peregrine Falcon” races the dead-straight 1851 Nikolaev alignment between Russia’s two capitals.,209,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sapsan-moscow-petersburg/
eip-warsaw-gdansk,EIP Pendolino,Warsaw,Gdańsk,classic,ED250 Pendolino,PKP Intercity,328,200,2 h 39 min,2014,,PL,Poland,Capital to the Baltic amber coast — Gdańsk’s Hanseatic old town — in under three hours.,686,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eip-warsaw-gdansk/
railjet-prague-vienna,Railjet,Prague,Vienna,classic,Railjet,ČD · ÖBB,396,160,≈ 4 h,1839,,CZ|AT,Czechia|Austria,"Follows the Habsburg Empire’s first steam railway of 1839 — Prague, Brno and Vienna strung like pearls.",462,https://trainrouter.com/routes/railjet-prague-vienna/
ister-budapest-bucharest,EN Ister,Budapest,Bucharest,night,MÁV / CFR sleeper,MÁV · CFR,874,160,≈ 16 h,1883,,HU|RO,Hungary|Romania,Retraces the original 1883 Orient Express alignment through Transylvania’s castles and the Carpathian passes.,331,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ister-budapest-bucharest/
athens-thessaloniki,Hellenic InterCity,Athens,Thessaloniki,classic,ETR 470 “White Arrow”,Hellenic Train,502,200,≈ 4 h,1916,,GR,Greece,"Past Thermopylae and beneath Mount Olympus — Greece’s spine line, now run by tilting Italian arrows.",447,https://trainrouter.com/routes/athens-thessaloniki/
dublin-cork,InterCity,Dublin,Cork,classic,Mark 4 push-pull,Iarnród Éireann,266,160,2 h 15 min,1849,,IE,Ireland,Ireland’s premier line since the Famine years — green midlands all the way to the Rebel City.,483,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dublin-cork/
oslo-trondheim,Dovrebanen,Oslo,Trondheim,scenic,SJ Nord long-distance,SJ Norge,553,200,≈ 6 h 40 min,1921,,NO,Norway,"Over the Dovrefjell plateau where wild musk oxen roam — mountain birch, snow fences and midnight sun.",245,https://trainrouter.com/routes/oslo-trondheim/
wcml-london-glasgow,Avanti West Coast,London,Glasgow,classic,Class 390 Pendolino,Avanti West Coast,645,200,4 h 30 min,1974,,GB,United Kingdom,Tilting Pendolinos sway through the Lune Gorge and over Shap summit on Britain’s busiest mixed-traffic artery.,646,https://trainrouter.com/routes/wcml-london-glasgow/
golden-pass,GoldenPass Express,Montreux,Lucerne,scenic,GPX variable-gauge panorama,MOB · zb,191,100,≈ 5 h,1901,,CH,Switzerland,Lake Geneva’s riviera to Lucerne over the Brünig Pass — its gauge-changing coaches are a world first.,25,https://trainrouter.com/routes/golden-pass/
jungfrau-railway,Jungfraubahn,Grindelwald,Jungfraujoch,scenic,Rack railway,Jungfraubahnen,20,30,≈ 1 h 30 min,1912,1000000,CH,Switzerland,"Tunnels INSIDE the Eiger to Europe’s highest station at 3,454 m — the “Top of Europe” since 1912.",17,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jungfrau-railway/
hokuriku-shinkansen,Hokuriku Shinkansen,Tokyo,Kanazawa,high-speed,E7 / W7 Series,JR East · JR West,450,260,2 h 28 min,2015,,JP,Japan,Over the Japanese Alps to the samurai gardens of Kanazawa — copper-and-blue E7s built for deep snow country.,588,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hokuriku-shinkansen/
tohoku-hokkaido-shinkansen,Hayabusa,Tokyo,Hakodate,high-speed,E5 / H5 Series,JR East · JR Hokkaido,862,320,3 h 57 min,2016,,JP,Japan,Japan’s fastest trains dive beneath the sea through the 53.9 km Seikan Tunnel to reach Hokkaido.,133,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tohoku-hokkaido-shinkansen/
sanyo-shinkansen,Sanyo Shinkansen,Osaka,Fukuoka,high-speed,N700S · 500 Series,JR West,553,300,2 h 21 min,1975,,JP,Japan,The Inland Sea corridor past Himeji Castle and Hiroshima — home of the legendary needle-nosed 500 Series.,124,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sanyo-shinkansen/
kyushu-shinkansen,Kyushu Shinkansen,Fukuoka,Kagoshima,high-speed,N700-8000 “Sakura”,JR Kyushu,257,260,1 h 16 min,2011,,JP,Japan,"Down the volcanic spine of Kyushu to Sakurajima’s smoking cone — mostly inside tunnels, all speed.",93,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kyushu-shinkansen/
beijing-guangzhou-hsr,Jingguang High-Speed,Beijing,Guangzhou,high-speed,CR400 Fuxing,China Railway,2298,350,≈ 8 h,2012,,CN,China,"The longest high-speed line on Earth — 2,298 km from the Yellow River plain to the Pearl River Delta.",538,https://trainrouter.com/routes/beijing-guangzhou-hsr/
beijing-harbin-hsr,Jingha High-Speed,Beijing,Harbin,high-speed,CR400BF-G “Fuxing”,China Railway,1198,350,≈ 5 h,2021,,CN,China,Cold-proof Fuxing sets built for −40 °C sprint to the ice-festival city of Harbin in Manchuria.,544,https://trainrouter.com/routes/beijing-harbin-hsr/
shanghai-maglev,Shanghai Maglev,Shanghai,Pudong Airport,high-speed,Transrapid maglev,SMT,30,431,≈ 8 min,2004,,CN,China,"The fastest commercial train on the planet — 431 km/h with no wheels, floating on magnets.",37,https://trainrouter.com/routes/shanghai-maglev/
lanzhou-urumqi-hsr,Lanxin High-Speed,Lanzhou,Ürümqi,high-speed,CR200J / CRH5,China Railway,1776,250,≈ 11 h,2014,,CN,China,The world’s longest desert high-speed line — wind-walled against Gobi gales on the old Silk Road.,541,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lanzhou-urumqi-hsr/
thsr-taipei-kaohsiung,THSR,Taipei,Kaohsiung,high-speed,700T Series,Taiwan High Speed Rail,345,300,1 h 34 min,2007,67000000,TW,Taiwan,Shinkansen technology’s first export — the length of Taiwan’s west coast in ninety minutes.,74,https://trainrouter.com/routes/thsr-taipei-kaohsiung/
darjeeling-himalayan,Darjeeling Toy Train,New Jalpaiguri,Darjeeling,scenic,B-Class steam · diesel,Indian Railways,88,25,≈ 7 h,1881,,IN,India,"A two-foot-gauge UNESCO marvel looping up to 2,200 m — steam engines older than the tea gardens they pass.",11,https://trainrouter.com/routes/darjeeling-himalayan/
kalka-shimla,Kalka–Shimla Railway,Kalka,Shimla,scenic,Rail motor · Himalayan Queen,Indian Railways,96,25,≈ 5 h 30 min,1903,,IN,India,102 tunnels and 864 bridges to the Raj’s summer capital — a UNESCO line where the guard still waves flags.,36,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kalka-shimla/
konkan-mumbai-goa,Konkan Railway,Mumbai,Goa,scenic,Vande Bharat · Tejas,Indian Railways,741,120,≈ 9 h,1998,,IN,India,"Monsoon country: 2,000 bridges and 91 tunnels down the palm-fringed cliffs of India’s west coast.",122,https://trainrouter.com/routes/konkan-mumbai-goa/
srilanka-main-line,Sri Lanka Main Line,Colombo,Badulla,scenic,Class S12 · observation car,Sri Lanka Railways,292,60,≈ 10 h,1924,,LK,Sri Lanka,Through tea country over the Nine Arches Bridge — many call Kandy to Ella the world’s most beautiful ride.,253,https://trainrouter.com/routes/srilanka-main-line/
bangkok-chiangmai,Chiang Mai Express,Bangkok,Chiang Mai,night,CNR sleeper,State Railway of Thailand,751,100,≈ 13 h,1922,,TH,Thailand,"Thailand’s classic sleeper — dinner past Ayutthaya’s temples, dawn in the teak hills of Lanna.",333,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bangkok-chiangmai/
eastern-oriental-express,Eastern & Oriental Express,Singapore,Bangkok,night,Belmond luxury sleeper,Belmond,2000,100,3 days,1993,,SG|MY|TH,Singapore|Malaysia|Thailand,Cream-and-green carriages gliding past rubber plantations — colonial-era glamour from the Lion City to Siam.,18,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eastern-oriental-express/
reunification-express,Reunification Express,Hanoi,Ho Chi Minh City,night,SE sleeper,Vietnam Railways,1726,90,≈ 33 h,1936,,VN,Vietnam,Two nights along the South China Sea — the Hải Vân Pass clings to cliffs the road never dared.,60,https://trainrouter.com/routes/reunification-express/
whoosh-jakarta-bandung,Whoosh,Jakarta,Bandung,high-speed,KCIC400AF (CR400 derivative),KCIC,142,350,≈ 45 min,2023,5000000,ID,Indonesia,Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway — volcano views at 350 km/h across the Parahyangan highlands.,210,https://trainrouter.com/routes/whoosh-jakarta-bandung/
laos-china-railway,Laos–China Railway,Kunming,Vientiane,classic,Lane Xang EMU,LCR,1035,160,≈ 10 h,2021,,CN|LA,China|Laos,"Punched through jungle karst in 167 tunnels, it gave landlocked Laos its first real railway.",636,https://trainrouter.com/routes/laos-china-railway/
afrosiyob-tashkent-samarkand,Afrosiyob,Tashkent,Samarkand,high-speed,Talgo 250,Uzbekistan Railways,344,250,2 h 08 min,2011,,UZ,Uzbekistan,Central Asia’s only high-speed rail — Spanish Talgos racing to the turquoise domes of the Silk Road.,607,https://trainrouter.com/routes/afrosiyob-tashkent-samarkand/
yht-istanbul-ankara,YHT,Istanbul,Ankara,high-speed,Siemens Velaro TR,TCDD Taşımacılık,533,250,≈ 4 h 30 min,2014,,TR,Türkiye,From the Bosphorus across the Anatolian steppe — Türkiye’s white Velaros bridge two continents’ doorstep.,577,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yht-istanbul-ankara/
haramain-hsr,Haramain High-Speed,Mecca,Medina,high-speed,Talgo 350 SRO,SAR,450,300,2 h 20 min,2018,,SA,Saudi Arabia,Links Islam’s two holiest cities at 300 km/h through the desert — built to move millions of Hajj pilgrims.,89,https://trainrouter.com/routes/haramain-hsr/
trans-mongolian,Trans-Mongolian,Ulan-Ude,Beijing,night,K3/K4 international sleeper,RZD · UBTZ · CR,2080,100,≈ 2 days,1956,,RU|MN|CN,Russia|Mongolia|China,"Branches off the Trans-Siberian across the Gobi — gers, camels, and a bogie change at the Chinese border.",10,https://trainrouter.com/routes/trans-mongolian/
empire-builder,Empire Builder,Chicago,Seattle,night,Amtrak Superliner,Amtrak,3550,127,≈ 46 h,1929,400000,US,United States,Two nights tracing the Great Northern’s empire — skirting Glacier National Park along the Montana Rockies.,51,https://trainrouter.com/routes/empire-builder/
coast-starlight,Coast Starlight,Seattle,Los Angeles,scenic,Amtrak Superliner,Amtrak,2216,127,≈ 35 h,1971,400000,US,United States,"Cascade volcanoes, Bay fog and a hundred miles of Pacific surf from the parlour car’s armchairs.",30,https://trainrouter.com/routes/coast-starlight/
brightline-miami-orlando,Brightline,Miami,Orlando,high-speed,Siemens Charger sets,Brightline,376,200,≈ 3 h 30 min,2023,2800000,US,United States,"America’s first private intercity railway in a century — bright yellow, 200 km/h through the palms.",75,https://trainrouter.com/routes/brightline-miami-orlando/
canadian-toronto-vancouver,The Canadian,Toronto,Vancouver,night,Budd stainless dome cars,VIA Rail,4466,130,≈ 4 days,1955,,CA,Canada,"Four nights in 1955 stainless-steel dome cars — Ontario lakeland, prairie infinity, then the Rockies at dawn.",20,https://trainrouter.com/routes/canadian-toronto-vancouver/
chepe-copper-canyon,El Chepe,Los Mochis,Chihuahua,scenic,Chepe Regional,Ferromex,653,70,≈ 16 h,1961,,MX,Mexico,"Sea level to 2,400 m through Copper Canyon — 37 bridges and 86 tunnels in country deeper than the Grand Canyon.",23,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chepe-copper-canyon/
tren-maya,Tren Maya,Cancún,Palenque,classic,Alstom X’trapolis,Tren Maya,900,160,≈ 11 h,2023,,MX,Mexico,A brand-new loop through the Yucatán linking Mayan pyramids — Chichén Itzá to Palenque by rail.,637,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-maya/
tren-a-las-nubes,Tren a las Nubes,Salta,San Antonio de los Cobres,scenic,Tourist consist,Tren a las Nubes,217,35,≈ 7 h,1948,,AR,Argentina,"“Train to the Clouds”: zigzags and spirals up the Andes to the La Polvorilla viaduct at 4,220 m.",32,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-a-las-nubes/
serra-verde-express,Serra Verde Express,Curitiba,Morretes,scenic,Tourist consist,Serra Verde Express,110,40,≈ 4 h,1885,,BR,Brazil,Down the Serra do Mar through Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest — an 1885 line of viaducts pinned to green cliffs.,284,https://trainrouter.com/routes/serra-verde-express/
alaska-denali-star,Denali Star,Anchorage,Fairbanks,scenic,Alaska Railroad domes,Alaska Railroad,570,95,≈ 12 h,1923,500000,US,United States,Twelve hours of wilderness with Denali filling the dome windows — flag stops still serve trailside cabins.,155,https://trainrouter.com/routes/alaska-denali-star/
andean-explorer,Andean Explorer,Cusco,Arequipa,night,Belmond luxury sleeper,Belmond · PeruRail,600,90,2 days,2017,,PE,Peru,"South America’s first luxury sleeper — over a 4,319 m pass and along Lake Titicaca under Andean stars.",27,https://trainrouter.com/routes/andean-explorer/
rovos-pretoria-victoria-falls,Rovos Rail,Pretoria,Victoria Falls,night,Restored Edwardian stock,Rovos Rail,1600,90,≈ 3 days,1989,,ZA|BW|ZW,South Africa|Botswana|Zimbabwe,“The Pride of Africa” — teak-panelled suites through the bushveld to the smoke that thunders.,15,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rovos-pretoria-victoria-falls/
cairo-aswan-sleeper,Nile Valley Sleeper,Cairo,Aswan,night,Watania sleeping cars,ENR · Watania,879,120,≈ 13 h,1898,,EG,Egypt,Overnight up the Nile past Luxor’s temples — wake to feluccas and the First Cataract at Aswan.,330,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cairo-aswan-sleeper/
casablanca-marrakech,Al Atlas,Casablanca,Marrakech,classic,ONCF intercity,ONCF,240,160,≈ 3 h,1928,,MA,Morocco,Across the Haouz plain to the red city beneath the High Atlas — the classic gateway to the souks.,486,https://trainrouter.com/routes/casablanca-marrakech/
madaraka-express,Madaraka Express,Nairobi,Mombasa,classic,SGR coaches,Kenya Railways,472,120,≈ 5 h,2017,2000000,KE,Kenya,Kenya’s standard-gauge flagship crosses Tsavo on elevated spans built so elephants pass beneath.,86,https://trainrouter.com/routes/madaraka-express/
addis-djibouti,Addis–Djibouti Railway,Addis Ababa,Djibouti,classic,Electric SGR sets,EDR,756,120,≈ 12 h,2018,,ET|DJ,Ethiopia|Djibouti,Africa’s first fully electrified cross-border railway — highlands to the Red Sea in a day.,99,https://trainrouter.com/routes/addis-djibouti/
xpt-sydney-melbourne,Melbourne XPT,Sydney,Melbourne,night,XPT (HST derivative),NSW TrainLink,960,160,≈ 11 h,1982,,AU,Australia,Australia’s InterCity 125 cousin runs the overnight between its two biggest rivals — cricket ashes optional.,414,https://trainrouter.com/routes/xpt-sydney-melbourne/
spirit-of-queensland,Spirit of Queensland,Brisbane,Cairns,classic,Diesel tilt train,Queensland Rail,1681,160,≈ 25 h,2014,,AU,Australia,A tilting train with lie-flat “railbeds” hugging the Coral Sea coast toward the Great Barrier Reef.,137,https://trainrouter.com/routes/spirit-of-queensland/
northern-explorer,Northern Explorer,Auckland,Wellington,scenic,AK panorama cars,KiwiRail,681,100,≈ 11 h,1908,,NZ,New Zealand,"Volcano country: the Raurimu Spiral climbs to Tongariro’s plateau, Ruapehu steaming beyond the glass.",123,https://trainrouter.com/routes/northern-explorer/
settle-carlisle,Settle–Carlisle Line,Settle,Carlisle,scenic,Class 158 Sprinter,Northern,117,100,1 h 45 min,1876,,GB,United Kingdom,"England’s highest main line crests Ais Gill at 356 m after striding across the 24-arch Ribblehead Viaduct, built by navvies camped on Batty Moss.",35,https://trainrouter.com/routes/settle-carlisle/
night-riviera,Night Riviera,London,Penzance,night,Class 57 with Mk3 sleepers,Great Western Railway,491,150,8 h,1877,,GB,United Kingdom,Sleeping cars have run west from Paddington since 1877; today’s train hugs Brunel’s storm-lashed Dawlish sea wall to the far tip of Cornwall.,141,https://trainrouter.com/routes/night-riviera/
enterprise-dublin-belfast,Enterprise,Dublin,Belfast,classic,De Dietrich push-pull,Iarnród Éireann · NI Railways,181,145,2 h 10 min,1947,,IE|GB,Ireland|United Kingdom,"Jointly run from both capitals since 1947, it rolls over the 1855 Boyne Viaduct at Drogheda and crosses the invisible Irish border without a pause.",713,https://trainrouter.com/routes/enterprise-dublin-belfast/
nordlandsbanen,Nordlandsbanen,Trondheim,Bodø,scenic,Di 4 diesel-hauled,SJ Norge,729,120,9 h 50 min,1962,,NO,Norway,"Norway’s longest railway — 729 km of fjordside, forest and bare Saltfjellet plateau, and the country’s only line across the Arctic Circle.",77,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nordlandsbanen/
rauma-line,Rauma Line,Dombås,Åndalsnes,scenic,Class 93 Talent DMU,SJ Norge,114,100,1 h 40 min,1924,,NO,Norway,"Corkscrews down Romsdalen past the 1,100 m Trollveggen — Europe’s tallest vertical cliff — via the Stavem spiral tunnel and stone Kylling Bridge.",280,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rauma-line/
linha-do-douro,Linha do Douro,Porto,Pocinho,scenic,Série 592 railcar,CP Comboios de Portugal,170,120,3 h 20 min,1887,,PT,Portugal,"Clings to the Douro’s waterline for some 100 km on ledges blasted out in the 1880s, threading UNESCO-listed port-wine terraces past Régua and Pinhão.",262,https://trainrouter.com/routes/linha-do-douro/
euromed-barcelona-valencia,Euromed,Barcelona,Valencia,high-speed,Talgo 250 (S-130),Renfe,350,250,2 h 45 min,1997,,ES,Spain,"Talgo tilting sets swap the Madrid high-speed line for the classic Mediterranean corridor at Camp de Tarragona, running within sight of the beaches.",603,https://trainrouter.com/routes/euromed-barcelona-valencia/
intercites-nuit-paris-nice,Intercités de Nuit Paris–Nice,Paris,Nice,night,Corail couchette cars,SNCF Voyageurs,1088,160,12 h 20 min,2021,,FR,France,"Relaunched in 2021 as heir to the fabled Train Bleu — board at Austerlitz, wake to the red Estérel cliffs and the sea glittering at Saint-Raphaël.",407,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercites-nuit-paris-nice/
schwarzwaldbahn,Schwarzwaldbahn,Offenburg,Konstanz,scenic,Class 146 double-decker,DB Regio,179,120,2 h 30 min,1873,,DE,Germany,Robert Gerwig’s 1873 blueprint for mountain railways climbs about 650 m through 39 tunnels and two sweeping double loops high above Triberg.,260,https://trainrouter.com/routes/schwarzwaldbahn/
mariazellerbahn,Mariazellerbahn,St. Pölten,Mariazell,scenic,Himmelstreppe (Stadler),Niederösterreich Bahnen,84,80,2 h 30 min,1907,,AT,Austria,"Opened in 1907 and electrified with its own rare 6.5 kV 25 Hz current in 1911, Austria’s grandest narrow-gauge line crests at 892 m in the Gösing Tunnel.",291,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mariazellerbahn/
european-sleeper-brussels-prague,European Sleeper,Brussels,Prague,night,Refurbished couchette & sleeper cars,European Sleeper,1200,160,15 h 30 min,2023,,BE|NL|DE|CZ,Belgium|Netherlands|Germany|Czechia,Crowdfunded start-up that gave the Low Countries their night train back — via The Hague and Amsterdam to Berlin and the Elbe valley to Prague.,401,https://trainrouter.com/routes/european-sleeper-brussels-prague/
nightjet-hamburg-vienna,Nightjet,Hamburg,Vienna,night,Nightjet new generation,ÖBB,1100,230,13 h,2016,,DE|AT,Germany|Austria,First route to get ÖBB’s new-generation Nightjets in 2023 — Mini Cabin pods for solo travellers and 230 km/h sleeper stock.,405,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nightjet-hamburg-vienna/
kyiv-warsaw-night,Kyiv–Warsaw Sleeper,Kyiv,Warsaw,night,UZ sleeping cars,Ukrzaliznytsia,780,120,14 h,2016,,UA|PL,Ukraine|Poland,"Wartime lifeline to the EU: at the Bug border every carriage is jacked up and its bogies swapped from 1,520 to 1,435 mm gauge while passengers doze.",420,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kyiv-warsaw-night/
regiojet-night-prague-kosice,RegioJet Night Train,Prague,Košice,night,RegioJet couchette & sleeper cars,RegioJet,700,160,10 h,2014,,CZ|SK,Czechia|Slovakia,"Open-access yellow night train since 2014 — cheap couchettes out of Prague, over the Jablunkov Pass and beneath the dark High Tatras to Košice.",424,https://trainrouter.com/routes/regiojet-night-prague-kosice/
icn-zagreb-split,ICN Zagreb–Split,Zagreb,Split,scenic,RegioSwinger tilting DMU,HŽPP,424,140,7 h,2004,,HR,Croatia,"Tilting railcars lean through the bare karst of the Lika plateau beneath Velebit, then swoop down to the palm-fringed Adriatic at Split.",349,https://trainrouter.com/routes/icn-zagreb-split/
bohinj-railway,Bohinj Railway,Jesenice,Nova Gorica,scenic,Diesel railcar,Slovenske železnice,89,75,1 h 50 min,1906,,SI,Slovenia,"Habsburg Transalpina of 1906: the 6.3 km Bohinj tunnel, the emerald Soča, and Solkan’s 85 m arch — the world’s longest stone rail span.",288,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bohinj-railway/
bucharest-brasov-prahova,Prahova Valley Railway,Bucharest,Brașov,classic,Loco-hauled InterRegio,CFR Călători,166,140,2 h 30 min,1879,,RO,Romania,"Climbs the Prahova gorge past Peleș Castle at Sinaia to Predeal, Romania’s highest station at 1,032 m, beneath the Bucegi’s 2,500 m walls.",514,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bucharest-brasov-prahova/
zssk-ic-bratislava-kosice,ZSSK InterCity,Bratislava,Košice,classic,ZSSK InterCity,ZSSK,445,160,4 h 51 min,1872,,SK,Slovakia,"Up the Váh valley, then along the 1872 Košice–Bohumín railway — the High Tatras panorama, crowned by 2,655 m Gerlach, sweeps past at Poprad.",456,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zssk-ic-bratislava-kosice/
westbahn-vienna-salzburg,WESTbahn,Vienna,Salzburg,classic,Stadler KISS double-decker,WESTbahn,315,200,2 h 30 min,2011,,AT,Austria,"Austria’s first open-access challenger, running since 2011 — 200 km/h Stadler KISS double-deckers that drove fares down on the Vienna–Salzburg run.",692,https://trainrouter.com/routes/westbahn-vienna-salzburg/
soko-belgrade-subotica,Soko,Belgrade,Subotica,high-speed,Soko (Stadler KISS 200),Srbija Voz,182,200,1 h 19 min,2022,,RS,Serbia,"Serbia’s first 200 km/h railway, built with Chinese and Russian contractors — Novi Sad in 36 minutes since 2022, Subotica since October 2025.",624,https://trainrouter.com/routes/soko-belgrade-subotica/
sunrise-seto-izumo,Sunrise Express,Tokyo,Izumo,night,285 series,JR West · JR East,953,130,12 h 8 min,1998,,JP,Japan,Japan’s last regular sleeper; the Izumo half splits at Okayama and threads the Hakubi Line gorges to the sacred San’in coast by breakfast.,71,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sunrise-seto-izumo/
tadami-line,Tadami Line,Aizu-Wakamatsu,Koide,scenic,KiHa E120 DMU,JR East,135,65,4 h 30 min,1971,,JP,Japan,Reopened in 2022 after 11 years of flood repairs; drifts over the mist-wreathed Tadami River bridges through Japan’s deepest snow country.,366,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tadami-line/
hongkong-beijing-hsr-sleeper,Hong Kong–Beijing High-Speed Sleeper,Hong Kong,Beijing,night,Fuxing high-speed sleeper,China Railway Guangzhou · MTR,2439,350,10 h 28 min,2024,,HK|CN,Hong Kong|China,"Fuxing sleeper EMUs leave Kowloon’s skyline at dusk and cross five provinces overnight, rolling into Beijing West before seven in the morning.",388,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hongkong-beijing-hsr-sleeper/
alishan-forest-railway,Alishan Forest Railway,Chiayi,Alishan,scenic,"DL-class diesel, 762 mm",Alishan Forest Railway & Cultural Heritage Office,71,30,5 h,1912,,TW,Taiwan,"762 mm trains climb 2,186 m in 71 km via the Dulishan spiral and summit switchbacks; fully reopened in 2024, 15 years after Typhoon Morakot.",41,https://trainrouter.com/routes/alishan-forest-railway/
nilgiri-mountain-railway,Nilgiri Mountain Railway,Mettupalayam,Ooty,scenic,X-class steam rack loco,Indian Railways (Southern Railway),46,30,4 h 50 min,1899,,IN,India,India’s only rack railway: X-class steam pushes the blue coaches up 1-in-12 grades from palm plains to Ooty’s tea hills; UNESCO-listed in 2005.,42,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nilgiri-mountain-railway/
vande-bharat-delhi-varanasi,Vande Bharat Express,New Delhi,Varanasi,high-speed,Vande Bharat EMU,Indian Railways,759,130,8 h,2019,,IN,India,"First of India’s home-built semi-high-speed EMUs (2019), skimming the Gangetic plain from the capital to Hinduism’s holiest city in eight hours.",556,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vande-bharat-delhi-varanasi/
death-railway,Death Railway,Bangkok (Thonburi),Nam Tok,classic,SRT ordinary (diesel),State Railway of Thailand,194,60,4 h 45 min,1943,,TH,Thailand,Built by Allied POWs and Asian labourers in 1942–43; trains still cross the River Kwai bridge and creep over the cliff-hugging Wang Pho viaduct.,28,https://trainrouter.com/routes/death-railway/
ktm-ets-kl-butterworth,KTM ETS,Kuala Lumpur,Butterworth,classic,Class 93 EMU,Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTMB),380,140,4 h,2015,,MY,Malaysia,Metre gauge yet electric at 140 km/h — among the fastest narrow-gauge trains anywhere — sweeping past Ipoh’s karst hills to the Penang ferry quay.,674,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ktm-ets-kl-butterworth/
tulpar-talgo-almaty-astana,Tulpar Talgo,Almaty,Astana,night,Tulpar-Talgo,Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ),1300,140,16 h 19 min,2002,,KZ,Kazakhstan,"Kazakh-assembled Talgo sets glide low over the steppe, hugging Lake Balkhash’s western shore all night between the old and new capitals.",398,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tulpar-talgo-almaty-astana/
telaviv-jerusalem-hsr,Jerusalem High-Speed Link,Tel Aviv,Jerusalem,high-speed,TRAXX-hauled Twindexx,Israel Railways,57,160,32 min,2018,,IL,Israel,"Israel’s first electrified line tunnels and bridges through the Judean Hills to Yitzhak Navon station, 80 m beneath Jerusalem, in half an hour.",629,https://trainrouter.com/routes/telaviv-jerusalem-hsr/
city-of-new-orleans,City of New Orleans,Chicago,New Orleans,night,Superliner,Amtrak,1500,127,19 h 30 min,1947,,US,United States,"Immortalized in Steve Goodman’s 1971 song — overnight down the Mississippi Delta past Memphis, Yazoo City and the Louisiana bayous.",391,https://trainrouter.com/routes/city-of-new-orleans/
southwest-chief,Southwest Chief,Chicago,Los Angeles,classic,Superliner,Amtrak,3645,145,43 h,1936,,US,United States,"Heir to the Santa Fe Super Chief, “Train of the Stars” — crests 2,388 m Raton Pass on the old Santa Fe Trail.",434,https://trainrouter.com/routes/southwest-chief/
sunset-limited,Sunset Limited,New Orleans,Los Angeles,classic,Superliner,Amtrak,3210,127,46 h 30 min,1894,,US,United States,"America’s oldest train name, running since 1894 — crosses the Pecos River High Bridge and the Chihuahuan Desert three times a week.",435,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sunset-limited/
pacific-surfliner,Pacific Surfliner,San Diego,San Luis Obispo,scenic,Surfliner bilevel cars,Amtrak,565,145,8 h 45 min,2000,2000000,US,United States,Heir to the 1938 San Diegan — surfboards ride free as double-deckers skim the sand at Del Mar and San Clemente.,161,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pacific-surfliner/
auto-train,Auto Train,Lorton,Sanford,night,Superliner,Amtrak,1376,127,17 h 30 min,1971,,US,United States,"Cars and motorcycles ride in autoracks behind the sleepers — often the world’s longest passenger train, nonstop Virginia to Florida.",395,https://trainrouter.com/routes/auto-train/
durango-silverton,Durango & Silverton,Durango,Silverton,scenic,Coal-fired K-36 steam,Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad,72,29,3 h 30 min,1882,200000,US,United States,"1882 gold-rush narrow gauge — steam-hauled ever since, on the Highline ledge blasted 120 m above the Animas River gorge.",46,https://trainrouter.com/routes/durango-silverton/
ocean-montreal-halifax,Ocean,Montréal,Halifax,night,Renaissance,VIA Rail,1346,130,24 h,1904,,CA,Canada,"North America’s oldest continuously named train, since 1904 — overnight past the Matapédia salmon rivers and Chaleur Bay to the Atlantic.",325,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ocean-montreal-halifax/
winnipeg-churchill,Winnipeg–Churchill,Winnipeg,Churchill,classic,Budd stainless cars,VIA Rail,1697,90,45 h,1929,,CA,Canada,"Two nights across muskeg and permafrost to Churchill, the polar-bear-and-beluga town on Hudson Bay that no road reaches.",436,https://trainrouter.com/routes/winnipeg-churchill/
la-trochita,La Trochita,Esquel,Nahuel Pan,scenic,1922 Henschel steam,Provincia del Chubut,19,45,3 h round trip,1945,,AR,Argentina,"Theroux’s Old Patagonian Express: 750 mm gauge, 1922 steam locomotives and wood-stove-heated wooden coaches across the steppe.",90,https://trainrouter.com/routes/la-trochita/
vitoria-minas,Trem Vitória a Minas,Vitória,Belo Horizonte,classic,Vale passenger consist,Vale,664,80,13 h 30 min,1904,1000000,BR,Brazil,"Brazil’s busiest long-distance train — daily along the Rio Doce, sharing metre-gauge tracks with 200-plus-wagon iron-ore trains.",164,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vitoria-minas/
tazara-dar-kapiri,TAZARA,Dar es Salaam,Kapiri Mposhi,classic,Mukuba Express sleeper,TAZARA,1860,100,46 h,1976,,TZ|ZM,Tanzania|Zambia,Mao-era China’s grandest aid project: the ‘Freedom Railway’ gave landlocked Zambia a copper route that bypassed white-ruled Rhodesia.,87,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tazara-dar-kapiri/
dakar-ter,Dakar TER,Dakar,Diamniadio,classic,Coradia Polyvalent bi-mode,SETER,36,160,45 min,2021,22600000,SN,Senegal,"West Africa’s first modern electric railway carried 22.6 million riders in 2024, sweeping past Dakar’s gridlock at 160 km/h.",213,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dakar-ter/
lagos-ibadan-sgr,Lagos–Ibadan Train Service,Lagos,Ibadan,classic,CRRC standard-gauge express,Nigerian Railway Corporation,157,150,2 h 45 min,2021,,NG,Nigeria,"Nigeria’s first double-track standard-gauge line; every grand station bears a national figure’s name, from Wole Soyinka to Obafemi Awolowo.",716,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lagos-ibadan-sgr/
abuja-kaduna-sgr,Abuja–Kaduna Train Service,Abuja,Kaduna,classic,CRRC standard-gauge express,Nigerian Railway Corporation,186,150,3 h,2016,,NG,Nigeria,Nigeria’s first standard-gauge railway (2016) links the capital to Kaduna’s Rigasa terminus — far safer than the kidnap-plagued expressway.,712,https://trainrouter.com/routes/abuja-kaduna-sgr/
gautrain,Gautrain,Johannesburg,Pretoria,classic,Electrostar EMU,Gautrain (Bombela),56,160,45 min,2010,7900000,ZA,South Africa,"South Africa’s 160 km/h Electrostars dive under Sandton’s bank towers, stitching Johannesburg to Pretoria in under an hour.",105,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gautrain/
kuranda-scenic,Kuranda Scenic Railway,Cairns,Kuranda,scenic,Heritage diesel tourist train,Queensland Rail,37,40,1 h 55 min,1891,,AU,Australia,Navvies hand-carved 15 tunnels and 37 bridges up Barron Gorge in the 1880s; trains still pause at the falls’ lookout above the rainforest.,63,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kuranda-scenic/
the-overland,The Overland,Melbourne,Adelaide,classic,Journey Beyond day train,Journey Beyond,828,115,11 h,1887,,AU,Australia,"Running since 1887 as the Intercolonial Express, Australia’s oldest interstate rail journey now crosses the Wimmera wheat belt twice weekly.",439,https://trainrouter.com/routes/the-overland/
coastal-pacific,Coastal Pacific,Picton,Christchurch,scenic,Great Journeys scenic day train,KiwiRail,348,100,5 h 30 min,1945,,NZ,New Zealand,"Pinched between the Kaikōura ranges and Pacific surf past fur-seal colonies, on a line the 2016 quake lifted bodily out of the sea.",351,https://trainrouter.com/routes/coastal-pacific/
xpt-sydney-brisbane,Brisbane XPT,Sydney,Brisbane,night,XPT (HST derivative),NSW TrainLink,988,160,14 h,1990,,AU,Australia,"The overnight run still books twin sleepers as it corkscrews through the Border Loop spiral, blasted through rainforest ranges in 1932.",412,https://trainrouter.com/routes/xpt-sydney-brisbane/
prospector-perth-kalgoorlie,The Prospector,Perth,Kalgoorlie,classic,WDA/WDB diesel railcar,Transwa,653,160,6 h 45 min,1971,,AU,Australia,Australia’s fastest diesel railcars shadow the 1903 goldfields water pipeline across the Wheatbelt to Kalgoorlie’s Golden Mile.,645,https://trainrouter.com/routes/prospector-perth-kalgoorlie/
joetsu-shinkansen,Joetsu Shinkansen,Tokyo,Niigata,high-speed,E7 “Toki”,JR East,300,275,1 h 29 min,1982,,JP,Japan,Dives under the Tanigawa range into Kawabata’s snow country — Tokyo to metres-deep Echigo-Yuzawa powder and Niigata’s sake coast in under ninety minutes.,612,https://trainrouter.com/routes/joetsu-shinkansen/
akita-shinkansen,Akita Shinkansen,Tokyo,Akita,high-speed,E6 “Komachi”,JR East,663,320,3 h 37 min,1997,,JP,Japan,"Crimson “Komachi” units ride the Hayabusa at 320 km/h to Morioka, then swap to single-track mountain rails past Lake Tazawa — a bullet train on a branch-line stage.",561,https://trainrouter.com/routes/akita-shinkansen/
yamagata-shinkansen,Yamagata Shinkansen,Tokyo,Shinjo,high-speed,E8 “Tsubasa”,JR East,421,300,3 h 10 min,1992,,JP,Japan,Japan’s first mini-shinkansen — beyond Fukushima the “Tsubasa” threads re-gauged valley rails beneath Zao’s slopes into cherry and soba country.,593,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yamagata-shinkansen/
nishi-kyushu-shinkansen,Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen,Takeo-Onsen,Nagasaki,high-speed,N700S-8000 “Kamome”,JR Kyushu,66,260,23 min,2022,,JP,Japan,"Japan’s newest, shortest bullet line — the white-and-red “Kamome” skims Omura Bay to Nagasaki while politics still debates the missing link to Hakata.",142,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nishi-kyushu-shinkansen/
kurobe-gorge-railway,Kurobe Gorge Railway,Unazuki Onsen,Keyakidaira,scenic,Open torokko cars,Kurobe Gorge Railway,20,25,1 h 20 min,1953,,JP,Japan,Dam-builders’ narrow-gauge torokko clinging to Japan’s deepest gorge — the full line to Keyakidaira returns in October 2026 after the Noto quake.,79,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kurobe-gorge-railway/
hakone-tozan-railway,Hakone Tozan Railway,Hakone-Yumoto,Gora,scenic,3000 “Allegra”,Hakone Tozan Railway (Odakyu),9,40,38 min,1919,,JP,Japan,Japan’s oldest mountain railway hauls itself up 1-in-12.5 grades through three switchbacks — hydrangeas brush the windows each June.,84,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hakone-tozan-railway/
resort-shirakami,Resort Shirakami,Akita,Aomori,scenic,HB-E300 “Buna” hybrid,JR East,250,100,≈ 5 h,1997,,JP,Japan,"A rapid that idles on purpose — shamisen players aboard, the Sea of Japan breaking at Senjojiki, and UNESCO’s Shirakami beech forests behind the dunes.",356,https://trainrouter.com/routes/resort-shirakami/
sagano-scenic-railway,Sagano Scenic Railway,Kyoto (Arashiyama),Kameoka,scenic,Torokko open coaches,Sagano Scenic Railway (JR West),7,25,25 min,1991,1000000,JP,Japan,A retired JR alignment above the Hozugawa rapids — twenty-five slow minutes of maples and gorge that the modern main line skips through tunnels.,70,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sagano-scenic-railway/
yufuin-no-mori,Yufuin no Mori,Fukuoka,Yufuin,scenic,Kiha 71/72 “Yufuin no Mori”,JR Kyushu,135,95,2 h 10 min,1989,,JP,Japan,Forest-green parlour cars with a buffet of Kyushu treats — over the Mino passes and along the Kusu valley to the boutique onsen town under Mount Yufu.,367,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yufuin-no-mori/
saphir-odoriko,Saphir Odoriko,Tokyo,Izukyu-Shimoda,scenic,E261 all-Green-Car EMU,JR East · Izukyu,168,120,2 h 30 min,2020,,JP,Japan,"All-Green-Car luxury down the Izu coast — nose windows, a fresh noodle bar, and Sagami Bay filling the glass roof beyond Atami’s tunnels.",359,https://trainrouter.com/routes/saphir-odoriko/
sl-gunma,SL Gunma,Takasaki,Minakami,classic,D51 498 · C61 20 steam,JR East,59,65,≈ 2 h,1988,,JP,Japan,Restored D51 498 “Degoichi” and C61 20 haul retro coaches up the Joetsu Line on weekends — steam echoing off the Tone gorge under Tanigawa’s wall.,372,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sl-gunma/
seven-stars-kyushu,Seven Stars in Kyushu,Fukuoka,Fukuoka,night,DF200-hauled 77 series suites,JR Kyushu,1000,100,≈ 4 days,2013,,JP,Japan,Japan’s first luxury cruise train — ten suites and a piano bar on a slow lap of Kyushu’s volcano country; berths routinely go to a lottery.,34,https://trainrouter.com/routes/seven-stars-kyushu/
twilight-express-mizukaze,Twilight Express Mizukaze,Osaka,Shimonoseki,night,87 series sleeper,JR West,720,110,≈ 27 h,2017,,JP,Japan,Heir to the beloved Twilight Express — emerald art-deco suites and open observation decks drifting along the San’in coast’s empty beaches.,48,https://trainrouter.com/routes/twilight-express-mizukaze/
hida-limited-express,Limited Express Hida,Nagoya,Toyama,scenic,HC85 hybrid DMU,JR Central,256,120,3 h 50 min,1968,,JP,Japan,"Hybrid HC85s shadow the jade-green Hida River for hours of gorge — riverside onsen at Gero, morning markets at Takayama, then down to Toyama Bay.",354,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hida-limited-express/
azusa-shinjuku-matsumoto,Limited Express Azusa,Tokyo (Shinjuku),Matsumoto,classic,E353 EMU,JR East,225,130,2 h 23 min,1966,,JP,Japan,"The alpinists’ express — E353s bank through Katsunuma’s vineyards and the Suwa lake basin to Matsumoto’s black castle, gateway to the Japan Alps.",707,https://trainrouter.com/routes/azusa-shinjuku-matsumoto/
sonic-hakata-oita,Limited Express Sonic,Fukuoka,Oita,classic,883 “Sonic” tilting EMU,JR Kyushu,200,130,2 h 05 min,1995,,JP,Japan,The blue “wonderland express” — tilting 883s reverse at Kokura and chase the coast past Nakatsu to the steaming hells of Beppu and Oita.,711,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sonic-hakata-oita/
spacia-x-nikko,Spacia X,Tokyo (Asakusa),Nikko,classic,Tobu N100 “Spacia X”,Tobu Railway,136,120,1 h 50 min,2023,,JP,Japan,"Tobu’s champagne-white flagship to Nikko’s shrine forest — a cockpit lounge, craft beer on draught, and Tokyo Skytree receding from the rear window.",721,https://trainrouter.com/routes/spacia-x-nikko/
odakyu-romancecar-hakone,Odakyu Romancecar,Tokyo (Shinjuku),Hakone-Yumoto,classic,70000 “GSE” observation EMU,Odakyu Electric Railway,89,110,1 h 15 min,1957,,JP,Japan,"Front-row observation seats since 1957, when the SE set a world narrow-gauge speed record — Shinjuku to Hakone’s hot springs without a change.",729,https://trainrouter.com/routes/odakyu-romancecar-hakone/
ktx-honam,KTX Honam,Seoul,Mokpo,high-speed,KTX-Sancheon,Korail,350,305,2 h 15 min,2015,,KR,South Korea,"Korea’s second high-speed spine — across the Honam rice plain to Gwangju and Mokpo’s seafood quays, where ferries fan out to a thousand islands.",604,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ktx-honam/
srt-suseo-busan,SRT,Seoul (Suseo),Busan,high-speed,SRT 120000 series,SR,400,300,2 h 10 min,2016,,KR,South Korea,The upstart from Gangnam — SRT slips out of Suseo through the 50 km Yulhyeon Tunnel and undercuts KTX fares all the way to Busan.,599,https://trainrouter.com/routes/srt-suseo-busan/
ktx-seoul-gangneung,KTX Gangneung Line,Seoul,Gangneung,high-speed,KTX-Sancheon · KTX-Eum,Korail,223,250,1 h 54 min,2017,,KR,South Korea,"Built for the PyeongChang 2018 Games — under the Taebaek passes in a 22 km tunnel, out to Gangneung’s espresso beaches on the East Sea.",622,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ktx-seoul-gangneung/
v-train-baekdudaegan,Baekdudaegan Canyon Train,Buncheon,Cheoram,scenic,V-train open-window coaches,Korail,28,30,1 h 10 min,2013,,KR,South Korea,"White-and-crimson canyon cars crawl the upper Nakdong gorge at 30 km/h — stove-warmed in winter, windows flung open over rapids no road reaches.",377,https://trainrouter.com/routes/v-train-baekdudaegan/
south-link-line,South-Link Line,Kaohsiung,Taitung,scenic,EMU3000 Tze-Chiang,Taiwan Railway,160,130,2 h 10 min,1992,,TW,Taiwan,Taiwan’s last main line to be completed — 35 tunnels through the island’s southern spine to Duoliang’s celebrated platform above the Pacific.,363,https://trainrouter.com/routes/south-link-line/
pingxi-line,Pingxi Line,Ruifang,Jingtong,scenic,DR1000 railcar,Taiwan Railway,13,60,≈ 50 min,1921,,TW,Taiwan,A 1920s coal branch where railcars squeeze between Shifen’s shop-fronts as sky lanterns lift off — waterfalls and a cat village along the way.,313,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pingxi-line/
puyuma-express,Puyuma Express,Taipei,Taitung,classic,TEMU2000 tilting EMU,Taiwan Railway,347,150,3 h 55 min,2013,,TW,Taiwan,"Named for the Puyuma people — tilting trains lean through the Yilan curves, past Qingshui’s sheer sea cliffs, into the East Rift Valley’s rice paddies.",681,https://trainrouter.com/routes/puyuma-express/
mauritania-iron-ore,Mauritania Iron Ore Train,Nouadhibou,Zouérat,classic,SNIM ore consist + passenger coach,SNIM,704,60,≈ 18 h,1963,,MR,Mauritania,"The world’s longest trains — up to 2.5 km of ore hoppers across the open Sahara, with a single battered passenger coach swaying at the back.",641,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mauritania-iron-ore/
benguela-lobito-luau,Benguela Railway Express,Lobito,Luau,night,CFB air-con sleeper express,CFB,1344,90,≈ 30 h,1929,,AO,Angola,"Atlantic surf to the Congolese border — the Chinese-rebuilt Benguela line’s weekly sleeper climbs 1,344 km through Huambo’s highlands to Luau.",107,https://trainrouter.com/routes/benguela-lobito-luau/
camrail-yaounde-ngaoundere,Transcamerounais,Yaoundé,Ngaoundéré,night,Train 191/192 couchette,Camrail,622,70,12 h 10 min,1974,,CM,Cameroon,"Cameroon’s nightly lifeline — couchettes climb from Yaoundé’s hills to the Adamawa Plateau, railhead for the country’s wild north.",426,https://trainrouter.com/routes/camrail-yaounde-ngaoundere/
la-gazelle-brazzaville,La Gazelle,Brazzaville,Pointe-Noire,classic,Korean-built air-con express,CFCO,510,70,≈ 16 h,1934,,CG,Republic of the Congo,"Silenced by war in the Pool, rolling again since 2023 — the Congo-Océan line dives through the Mayombe forest to the Atlantic at Pointe-Noire.",446,https://trainrouter.com/routes/la-gazelle-brazzaville/
algiers-oran-express,Algiers–Oran Express,Algiers,Oran,classic,Alstom Coradia Polyvalent,SNTF,421,160,5 h 30 min,1871,,DZ,Algeria,"Algeria’s premier inter-city — bimodal Coradias sweep the 1871 French-built mainline through the Chélif valley, Algiers to Oran in an afternoon.",459,https://trainrouter.com/routes/algiers-oran-express/
algiers-constantine-express,Algiers–Constantine Express,Algiers,Constantine,classic,Alstom Coradia Polyvalent,SNTF,464,160,6 h 44 min,1886,,DZ,Algeria,"East across the high plains of Sétif to Constantine, the “city of bridges” strung over the Rhumel gorge — Algeria’s grandest station approach.",452,https://trainrouter.com/routes/algiers-constantine-express/
alexandria-aswan-express,Alexandria–Aswan Express,Alexandria,Aswan,night,ENR air-con express coaches,Egyptian National Railways,1090,120,16 h 40 min,1856,,EG,Egypt,"One seat, the whole of Egypt — from the Mediterranean up Africa’s oldest main line, waking to palms, feluccas and temples along the Nile to Aswan.",326,https://trainrouter.com/routes/alexandria-aswan-express/
al-atlas-tangier-marrakech,Al Atlas Night,Tangier,Marrakech,night,ONCF couchette train,ONCF,620,120,9 h 36 min,1928,,MA,Morocco,"Morocco’s night train — out of Tangier at 23:25, couchettes rolling south past Asilah and Casablanca to dawn beneath the Koutoubia in Marrakech.",337,https://trainrouter.com/routes/al-atlas-tangier-marrakech/
bulawayo-victoria-falls,Victoria Falls Overnight,Bulawayo,Victoria Falls,night,NRZ loco-hauled coaches,National Railways of Zimbabwe,472,70,≈ 13 h,1904,,ZW,Zimbabwe,"Revived in October 2025 — the 1904 line to the Falls leaves Bulawayo at dusk, skirts Hwange’s elephant country and arrives with the spray in sight.",341,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bulawayo-victoria-falls/
kisumu-safari-train,Kisumu Safari Train,Nairobi,Kisumu,night,Metre-gauge sleeper,Kenya Railways,405,70,≈ 13 h,1901,,KE,Kenya,The old Uganda Railway reborn as a festive-season sleeper — down the Rift wall past Naivasha and Nakuru to Lake Victoria’s shore at Kisumu.,342,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kisumu-safari-train/
lezard-rouge,Lézard Rouge,Metlaoui,Selja Gorges,scenic,Restored beylical saloons (1910),SNCFT,43,30,≈ 1 h 45 min (round trip),1910,,TN,Tunisia,"The Bey of Tunis’s 1910 saloon cars, freshly restored — creeping into the Selja gorge’s ochre cliffs, photo stops included, in phosphate country.",297,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lezard-rouge/
tanzania-sgr-dar-dodoma,Tanzania SGR,Dar es Salaam,Dodoma,classic,CRRC EMU & loco-hauled sets,Tanzania Railways Corporation,460,160,3 h 42 min,2024,,TZ,Tanzania,"East Africa’s first electric railway — 160 km/h from Dar’s Indian Ocean humidity to the capital in under four hours, opened 2024 and already packed.",662,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tanzania-sgr-dar-dodoma/
warri-itakpe-express,Warri–Itakpe Train,Warri,Itakpe,classic,NRC standard-gauge coaches,Nigerian Railway Corporation,326,100,≈ 4 h,2020,,NG,Nigeria,Begun in 1987 and finished 33 years later — the standard-gauge line linking the Niger Delta’s creeks with the iron hills of Kogi State.,687,https://trainrouter.com/routes/warri-itakpe-express/
puffing-billy,Puffing Billy Railway,Belgrave,Gembrook,scenic,"NA-class steam, open-sided cars",Puffing Billy Railway,24,25,1 h 50 min,1900,400000,AU,Australia,"Legs out the window over Monbulk Creek trestle — century-old narrow-gauge steam through Dandenongs fern gullies, Australia’s best-loved heritage line.",56,https://trainrouter.com/routes/puffing-billy/
spirit-of-the-outback,Spirit of the Outback,Brisbane,Longreach,night,"Loco-hauled sleeper, Tuckerbox diner",Queensland Rail,1325,100,≈ 25 h,1993,,AU,Australia,"Up the coast to Rockhampton, then dead west into Matilda country — sleepers and the Tuckerbox diner, 1,325 km to the stockman’s capital.",396,https://trainrouter.com/routes/spirit-of-the-outback/
gulflander-normanton-croydon,The Gulflander,Normanton,Croydon,scenic,RM93 railmotor (1950),Queensland Rail,152,40,≈ 5 h,1891,,AU,Australia,“From nowhere to nowhere” once a week — the 1891 Gulf line’s hollow steel sleepers shrug off every wet-season flood; the old railmotor just keeps going.,273,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gulflander-normanton-croydon/
west-coast-wilderness-railway,West Coast Wilderness Railway,Queenstown,Strahan,scenic,Abt rack steam locomotives,West Coast Wilderness Railway,35,20,≈ 4 h,1896,,AU,Australia,"Hauling itself up 1-in-16 grades on Abt rack cogs — the 1896 copper railway, from Queenstown’s bare hills into King River rainforest, steaming again.",116,https://trainrouter.com/routes/west-coast-wilderness-railway/
taieri-gorge-railway,Taieri Gorge Railway,Dunedin,Pukerangi,scenic,"Heritage carriages, DJ diesels",Dunedin Railways,58,50,2 h 5 min,1889,,NZ,New Zealand,Out of Dunedin’s bluestone palace of a station and into the Taieri’s schist canyon — wrought-iron viaducts of 1889 carrying every train still.,115,https://trainrouter.com/routes/taieri-gorge-railway/
capital-connection,Capital Connection,Palmerston North,Wellington,classic,Refurbished loco-hauled carriages,KiwiRail,136,100,2 h 15 min,1991,,NZ,New Zealand,"The Kāpiti Coast’s own express — one morning run to Wellington beneath Paekākāriki’s escarpment, home again each evening since 1991.",720,https://trainrouter.com/routes/capital-connection/
pichi-richi-railway,Pichi Richi Railway,Port Augusta,Quorn,scenic,Afghan Express steam,Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society,39,30,2 h 20 min,1879,,AU,Australia,"The original Ghan route through Pichi Richi Pass — 1879 stonework, volunteer-run steam and the 1928 “Barwell Bull” railcar to quaint Quorn.",174,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pichi-richi-railway/
mary-valley-rattler,Mary Valley Rattler,Gympie,Amamoor,scenic,C17 steam No. 45,Rattler Railway Company,20,25,1 h,1915,,AU,Australia,"A 1920s C17 barks out of Gympie across Deep Creek bridge — the 1915 fruit branch through the Mary Valley, saved twice and steaming on weekends.",190,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mary-valley-rattler/
inlander-townsville-mount-isa,The Inlander,Townsville,Mount Isa,night,Loco-hauled outback train,Queensland Rail,977,80,≈ 21 h,1953,,AU,Australia,"Queensland’s grand old night train since 1953 — Coral Sea to Cloncurry’s red plains and the smokestacks of Mount Isa, 977 unhurried kilometres.",413,https://trainrouter.com/routes/inlander-townsville-mount-isa/
westlander-brisbane-charleville,The Westlander,Brisbane,Charleville,night,Loco-hauled night train,Queensland Rail,777,80,≈ 17 h,1954,,AU,Australia,Over the Toowoomba range by night and out across the Darling Downs — twice a week until the wheat gives way to mulga at Charleville.,422,https://trainrouter.com/routes/westlander-brisbane-charleville/
byron-bay-solar-train,Byron Bay Solar Train,Byron Beach,North Beach,scenic,"1949 600-class railcar, solar-powered",Byron Bay Railroad Company,3,25,10 min,2017,100000,AU,Australia,The world’s first fully solar-powered train — a 1949 “red rattler” gliding three kilometres of resurrected line to Byron Bay’s beaches.,162,https://trainrouter.com/routes/byron-bay-solar-train/
great-southern-adelaide-brisbane,Great Southern,Adelaide,Brisbane,night,Gold & Platinum sleeper,Journey Beyond,2885,115,≈ 3 days,2019,,AU,Australia,"The Ghan’s summer sibling — Adelaide to Brisbane the long way round, with Grampians sunsets, Canberra and a Coffs Harbour beach stop en route.",387,https://trainrouter.com/routes/great-southern-adelaide-brisbane/
shanghai-kunming-hsr,Shanghai–Kunming HSR,Shanghai,Kunming,high-speed,CR400AF Fuxing,China Railway,2252,350,≈ 11 h,2016,,CN,China,"China’s longest east–west high-speed line — 2,252 km from the Bund to the Yunnan plateau, vaulting Guizhou’s canyons on some of the world’s highest bridges.",539,https://trainrouter.com/routes/shanghai-kunming-hsr/
hangzhou-shenzhen-hsr,Southeast Coastal HSR,Hangzhou,Shenzhen,high-speed,CRH & Fuxing EMUs,China Railway,1450,300,≈ 6 h,2013,,CN,China,"D-trains skim 1,450 km of fishing ports, tea hills and sea bridges between the Yangtze and Pearl deltas — China’s window seat on the East China Sea.",542,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hangzhou-shenzhen-hsr/
chengdu-chongqing-hsr,Chengdu–Chongqing HSR,Chengdu,Chongqing,high-speed,CR400AF Fuxing,China Railway Chengdu Group,307,350,1 h 02 min,2015,,CN,China,"Fuxings at 350 km/h stitch the twin megacities of the southwest into 62 minutes — hotpot in Chengdu, riverside neon in Chongqing before it cools.",610,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chengdu-chongqing-hsr/
xian-chengdu-hsr,Xi’an–Chengdu HSR,Xi’an,Chengdu,high-speed,CRH3A,China Railway,658,250,3 h 07 min,2017,,CN,China,"The first bullet line across the Qinling — 127 km of tunnels under the range that divides north and south China, Terracotta Army to pandas in three hours.",563,https://trainrouter.com/routes/xian-chengdu-hsr/
hainan-ring-hsr,Hainan Ring HSR,Haikou,Sanya,high-speed,CR300AF Fuxing,China Railway Guangzhou Group,653,250,≈ 4 h 30 min,2015,,CN,China,"The world’s only circular high-speed railway — 653 km looping a tropical island past surf beaches, rocket launch pads and coconut groves.",564,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hainan-ring-hsr/
guangzhou-hongkong-xrl,Guangzhou–Hong Kong XRL,Guangzhou,Hong Kong,high-speed,Vibrant Express (CRH380A),China Railway Guangzhou · MTR,142,300,47 min,2018,,CN|HK,China|Hong Kong,"Under the Pearl River Delta in 47 minutes — dim sum in Guangzhou, and the harbour skyline rising over West Kowloon’s station roof by mid-morning.",628,https://trainrouter.com/routes/guangzhou-hongkong-xrl/
beijing-zhangjiakou-hsr,Beijing–Zhangjiakou HSR,Beijing,Zhangjiakou,high-speed,CR400BF-C smart Fuxing,China Railway Beijing Group,174,350,47 min,2019,,CN,China,"The world’s first autonomous 350 km/h railway, built for the 2022 Winter Games above Zhan Tianyou’s 1909 line — one station lies 102 m beneath the Great Wall.",626,https://trainrouter.com/routes/beijing-zhangjiakou-hsr/
harbin-dalian-hsr,Harbin–Dalian HSR,Harbin,Dalian,high-speed,CRH380BG (cold-climate),China Railway,921,350,≈ 4 h,2012,,CN,China,The world’s first alpine high-speed line — 921 km from Siberian-cold Harbin to the ice-free port of Dalian on EMUs winterised for −40 °C.,548,https://trainrouter.com/routes/harbin-dalian-hsr/
guiyang-guangzhou-hsr,Guiyang–Guangzhou HSR,Guiyang,Guangzhou,high-speed,CRH & Fuxing EMUs,China Railway,857,300,≈ 4 h,2014,,CN,China,"Eighty-three percent tunnel and bridge — 238 bores through Guizhou’s karst down to the Pearl Delta, four hours where the road once took a day and a night.",551,https://trainrouter.com/routes/guiyang-guangzhou-hsr/
lhasa-nyingchi-railway,Lhasa–Nyingchi Railway,Lhasa,Nyingchi,scenic,CR200J Fuxing,China Railway Qingzang Group,435,160,3 h 29 min,2021,,CN,China,"Oxygen-fed Fuxings trace the Yarlung Tsangpo at 3,500 m, crossing the great river 16 times between Lhasa and the peach orchards of Nyingchi.",126,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lhasa-nyingchi-railway/
chengdu-kunming-railway,Chengdu–Kunming Railway,Chengdu,Kunming,classic,CR200J Fuxing & slow trains,China Railway Chengdu Group,1100,160,≈ 7 h,1970,,CN,China,"The impossible mountain line of 1970 — 427 tunnels and 991 bridges through the Daliangshan, where 5-yuan slow trains still double as the Yi villages’ market bus.",635,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chengdu-kunming-railway/
urumqi-kashgar-railway,Southern Xinjiang Railway,Urumqi,Kashgar,night,K/T-series sleepers,China Railway Urumqi Group,1475,140,≈ 15 h,1999,,CN,China,"All-night sleepers skirt the Tian Shan and the Taklamakan’s rim to Kashgar, the last great Silk Road bazaar before the Pamirs.",392,https://trainrouter.com/routes/urumqi-kashgar-railway/
arktika-moscow-murmansk,Arktika,Moscow,Murmansk,night,Arktika № 16/15,RZD,1940,120,≈ 35 h,1916,,RU,Russia,Russia’s polar flagship crosses the Arctic Circle on the 1916 Murman railway — 35 hours north to a port where winter trains arrive in round-the-clock night.,323,https://trainrouter.com/routes/arktika-moscow-murmansk/
moscow-kazan-night,Moscow–Kazan Double-Decker,Moscow,Kazan,night,Double-deck sleeper № 23/24,RZD,793,120,≈ 11 h 30 min,2015,,RU,Russia,"Two storeys of berths slip out of Kazansky station at 23:08 and pull in beneath the Tatar kremlin by breakfast — Russia’s double-deck night-train boom, eastbound.",419,https://trainrouter.com/routes/moscow-kazan-night/
red-arrow-moscow-petersburg,Red Arrow,Moscow,Saint Petersburg,night,Krasnaya Strela № 1/2,RZD,650,160,≈ 8 h,1931,,RU,Russia,Departing at 23:55 nightly since 1931 to the strains of ‘Hymn to the Great City’ — the crimson Soviet flagship that outlived the state that built it.,335,https://trainrouter.com/routes/red-arrow-moscow-petersburg/
circum-baikal-express,Circum-Baikal Express,Irkutsk,Port Baikal,scenic,Retro excursion train,RZD Travel,215,40,≈ 9 h,1905,,RU,Russia,"The Tsar’s ‘golden buckle’ — 38 tunnels blasted into cliffs a step above Baikal’s water, once the Trans-Siberian’s costliest link, now a slow shoreline excursion.",255,https://trainrouter.com/routes/circum-baikal-express/
baikal-amur-mainline,Baikal–Amur Mainline,Tayshet,Komsomolsk-on-Amur,night,RZD sleeper trains,RZD,3800,100,≈ 4 days,1984,,RU,Russia,"Brezhnev’s ‘Project of the Century’ — the Trans-Siberian’s wilder northern twin: 3,800 km of permafrost, seven ranges and towns that exist only for the line.",385,https://trainrouter.com/routes/baikal-amur-mainline/
tbilisi-batumi-intercity,Tbilisi–Batumi Intercity,Tbilisi,Batumi,classic,Stadler KISS double-decker,Georgian Railway,378,120,4 h 59 min,2016,,GE,Georgia,Swiss double-deckers roll from the capital through Stalin’s Gori and the Imereti vineyards to palm-lined Batumi — Georgia crossed in five hours.,675,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tbilisi-batumi-intercity/
baku-tbilisi-night,Baku–Tbilisi Night Train,Baku,Tbilisi,night,Stadler sleeper,ADY · Georgian Railway,551,90,≈ 9 h 30 min,2026,,AZ|GE,Azerbaijan|Georgia,Back after six years in May 2026 — factory-fresh Stadler sleepers with showers and a VIP lounge leave the Caspian at night and wake above the Kura in Tbilisi.,428,https://trainrouter.com/routes/baku-tbilisi-night/
baku-ganja-express,Baku–Ganja Express,Baku,Ganja,classic,Stadler KISS,Azerbaijan Railways (ADY),363,160,≈ 4 h,2021,,AZ,Azerbaijan,"Double-deck KISS EMUs since 2021, sprinting the Kura steppe to Azerbaijan’s second city — the quickest thing on rails between the Caspian and the Lesser Caucasus.",676,https://trainrouter.com/routes/baku-ganja-express/
yerevan-tbilisi-night,Yerevan–Tbilisi Night Train,Yerevan,Tbilisi,night,Sleeper № 371/372,South Caucasus Railway,370,80,≈ 10 h 30 min,1902,,AM|GE,Armenia|Georgia,An every-other-night time capsule down the Debed gorge past Alaverdi’s copper smelters — extended each summer through to the beaches of Batumi.,343,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yerevan-tbilisi-night/
almaty-tashkent-talgo,Almaty–Tashkent Talgo,Almaty,Tashkent,night,Talgo wide-body sleeper,Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ),1000,140,≈ 16 h,2024,,KZ|UZ,Kazakhstan|Uzbekistan,"Central Asia’s new international Talgo, daily since December 2025 — dinner leaving Almaty under the Tian Shan, lunch next day in Tashkent.",408,https://trainrouter.com/routes/almaty-tashkent-talgo/
tashkent-khiva-night,Tashkent–Khiva Night Train,Tashkent,Khiva,night,UTY night sleeper,Uzbekistan Railways,1120,90,≈ 14 h,2018,,UZ,Uzbekistan,Khiva had no railway until 2018 — now a sleeper crosses the Kyzylkum desert overnight and draws up beside the mud-walled Itchan Kala at breakfast.,404,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tashkent-khiva-night/
bishkek-issyk-kul,Issyk-Kul Summer Train,Bishkek,Balykchy,scenic,Panoramic tourist cars,Kyrgyz Temir Zholu,185,60,4 h 05 min,1948,,KG,Kyrgyzstan,"A summer-weekend crawl up the Boom Gorge to Issyk-Kul, the world’s second-largest alpine lake — panoramic cars bolted on for the mountain walls.",358,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bishkek-issyk-kul/
ashgabat-turkmenabat-night,Ashgabat–Türkmenabat Night Train,Ashgabat,Türkmenabat,night,TDY sleeper,Türkmendemirýollary (TDY),560,100,≈ 13 h,1886,,TM,Turkmenistan,Down the Tsarist Trans-Caspian mainline of 1886 — overnight past Merv’s ruined oasis and the Karakum sands to the Amu Darya’s banks.,340,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ashgabat-turkmenabat-night/
gornergrat-bahn,Gornergrat Bahn,Zermatt,Gornergrat,scenic,Rack railway,Gornergrat Bahn,9,30,33 min,1898,,CH,Switzerland,"Europe’s highest open-air railway climbs from Zermatt to 3,089 m — the Matterhorn framed in the window from the first curve to the summit ridge.",38,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gornergrat-bahn/
pilatus-railway,Pilatus Railway,Alpnachstad,Pilatus Kulm,scenic,Stadler rack railcars,Pilatus-Bahnen,5,12,≈ 30 min,1889,,CH,Switzerland,"The steepest rack railway on Earth — 48 % grades since 1889, with Locher’s horizontal cog wheels gripping a ladder no ordinary train could climb.",43,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pilatus-railway/
rigi-railways,Rigi Railways,Vitznau,Rigi Kulm,scenic,Rack railway,Rigi Bahnen,7,20,≈ 30 min,1871,,CH,Switzerland,Europe’s first mountain railway (1871) still ratchets up from Lake Lucerne to the Queen of the Mountains — Mark Twain rode it and wrote home about it.,319,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rigi-railways/
brocken-railway,Brockenbahn,Wernigerode,Brocken,scenic,Class 99 2-10-2T steam,Harzer Schmalspurbahnen,34,40,≈ 1 h 45 min,1899,,DE,Germany,"Metre-gauge steam still storms year-round to the 1,141 m Brocken — Goethe’s witches’ mountain, sealed off as a Soviet listening post until 1989.",177,https://trainrouter.com/routes/brocken-railway/
zugspitze-rack-railway,Bayerische Zugspitzbahn,Garmisch-Partenkirchen,Zugspitzplatt,scenic,Rack railway,Bayerische Zugspitzbahn,19,40,≈ 1 h 15 min,1930,,DE,Germany,"Germany’s highest railway — cogwheels from Garmisch past the Eibsee, then 4.5 km of tunnel to snowfields at 2,588 m below the country’s highest summit.",308,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zugspitze-rack-railway/
centovalli-express,Centovalli Railway,Domodossola,Locarno,scenic,Panoramic railcars,SSIF · FART,52,60,≈ 2 h,1923,,IT|CH,Italy|Switzerland,"Fifty-two km, 83 bridges and 31 tunnels between Piedmont and Ticino — chestnut forests, waterfalls and stone villages a hundred valleys deep.",68,https://trainrouter.com/routes/centovalli-express/
hollentalbahn,Höllentalbahn,Freiburg,Donaueschingen,scenic,Breisgau S-Bahn EMU,DB Regio,75,100,≈ 1 h 30 min,1887,,DE,Germany,Germany’s steepest main line climbs Hell’s Valley at 55 ‰ — through the Hirschsprung gorge and over the Ravenna viaduct into the high Black Forest.,292,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hollentalbahn/
ffestiniog-welsh-highland,Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland,Caernarfon,Blaenau Ffestiniog,scenic,Double Fairlie steam,Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways,62,40,≈ 4 h,1836,,GB,United Kingdom,The world’s oldest narrow-gauge railway company (1836) — double-ended Fairlie steam from Caernarfon castle through Snowdonia to the slate town of Blaenau.,171,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ffestiniog-welsh-highland/
jacobite-steam-train,The Jacobite,Fort William,Mallaig,scenic,Black Five steam,West Coast Railways,67,60,2 h 10 min,1901,,GB,United Kingdom,"Steam over the 21 arches of Glenfinnan on the 1901 Mallaig extension — the working train that became the Hogwarts Express, white sands of Morar below.",13,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jacobite-steam-train/
snowdon-mountain-railway,Snowdon Mountain Railway,Llanberis,Snowdon Summit,scenic,Steam & diesel rack,Snowdon Mountain Railway,8,12,≈ 1 h,1896,,GB,United Kingdom,"Britain’s only public rack-and-pinion railway, Swiss-engineered in 1896 — 950 vertical metres from Llanberis to the roof of Wales.",54,https://trainrouter.com/routes/snowdon-mountain-railway/
train-jaune,Train Jaune,Villefranche-de-Conflent,Latour-de-Carol,scenic,Z 100 yellow railcars,SNCF Voyageurs,63,55,≈ 3 h,1910,,FR,France,"The canary-yellow metre gauge of the Pyrenees — open-air cars over the Séjourné and Gisclard bridges to France’s highest station at 1,593 m.",83,https://trainrouter.com/routes/train-jaune/
le-cevenol,Le Cévenol,Clermont-Ferrand,Nîmes,scenic,TER railcar,SNCF Voyageurs,303,100,≈ 5 h,1870,,FR,France,"Down the Allier gorges on viaducts stacked over a river with no road — the Massif Central crossing the TGV era forgot, kept alive by sheer beauty.",252,https://trainrouter.com/routes/le-cevenol/
ligne-des-hirondelles,Ligne des Hirondelles,Dole,Saint-Claude,scenic,TER Mobigo railcar,SNCF Voyageurs,123,90,≈ 3 h,1912,,FR,France,36 tunnels and 18 viaducts swooping like its namesake swallows through the high Jura — stacked stone arches right above the rooftops of Morez.,279,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ligne-des-hirondelles/
intercites-nuit-paris-briancon,Intercités de Nuit Paris–Briançon,Paris,Briançon,night,Corail couchette cars,SNCF Voyageurs,860,160,≈ 11 h 30 min,1884,,FR,France,"France’s southern-Alps sleeper — lights out at Austerlitz, blinds up in the Durance valley, arrival under the Vauban walls of France’s highest city.",332,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercites-nuit-paris-briancon/
cinque-terre-express,Cinque Terre Express,Levanto,La Spezia,scenic,Rock double-deck EMU,Trenitalia,30,100,≈ 30 min,1874,,IT,Italy,"Village-hopping between tunnels where Liguria’s cliffs meet the sea — Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore in half an hour.",59,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cinque-terre-express/
frecciarossa-milan-venice,Frecciarossa Milan–Venice,Milan,Venice,high-speed,Frecciarossa 1000,Trenitalia,267,300,2 h 13 min,2016,,IT,Italy,"300 km/h out of Milan, then Verona, Vicenza and Padua — finishing with the causeway glide across the lagoon to Santa Lucia’s doorstep on the Grand Canal.",616,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-milan-venice/
nightjet-munich-rome,Nightjet Munich–Rome,Munich,Rome,night,New-generation Nightjet,ÖBB,1100,230,13 h 58 min,2016,,DE|AT|IT,Germany|Austria|Italy,"Board after dinner in Bavaria, wake to Tuscan hills — mini-cabins and wireless charging on ÖBB’s newest sleepers, threading the Tauern by night.",406,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nightjet-munich-rome/
nightjet-zurich-amsterdam,Nightjet Zurich–Amsterdam,Zurich,Amsterdam,night,Nightjet sleeper,ÖBB · NS,1000,200,11 h 15 min,2021,,CH|DE|NL,Switzerland|Germany|Netherlands,"Asleep along the Rhine, awake on the IJ — the 2021 revival that re-linked the Alps to the canals, sliding past Cologne’s floodlit cathedral at midnight.",409,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nightjet-zurich-amsterdam/
kyiv-lviv-intercity,Kyiv–Lviv Intercity+,Kyiv,Lviv,classic,HRCS2 Hyundai Rotem,Ukrzaliznytsia,575,160,≈ 5 h,2012,,UA,Ukraine,"Launched for Euro 2012 and never stopped — the Hyundai-built Intercity+ keeps capital and Galicia linked across the steppe, through blackout and war.",652,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kyiv-lviv-intercity/
helsinki-turku-ic,Rantarata Coastal Line,Helsinki,Turku,classic,Sr3-hauled InterCity,VR,193,200,1 h 57 min,1903,,FI,Finland,"Finland’s two capitals, old and new, tied by a curving shoreline track — double-deck InterCities weaving through granite cuttings and birch-lined bays.",504,https://trainrouter.com/routes/helsinki-turku-ic/
copenhagen-aarhus-lyn,Lyntog Copenhagen–Aarhus,Copenhagen,Aarhus,classic,IC3 Lyntog,DSB,330,180,2 h 39 min,1997,,DK,Denmark,Zealand to Jutland with no ferry — an 8 km tunnel and the 6.6 km West Bridge across the Great Belt made Denmark one rail country in 1997.,685,https://trainrouter.com/routes/copenhagen-aarhus-lyn/
sorlandsbanen,Sørlandsbanen,Oslo,Stavanger,classic,Type 73 tilting EMU,Go-Ahead Nordic,598,160,≈ 8 h,1944,,NO,Norway,"Norway’s south-coast main line, completed in wartime 1944 — inland through pine and moor, touching salt water only at Kristiansand and the Jæren flats.",650,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sorlandsbanen/
rorosbanen,Rørosbanen,Hamar,Trondheim,scenic,Type 93 Talent DMU,SJ Norge,431,120,≈ 6 h,1877,,NO,Norway,"The original 1877 inland route to Trondheim — diesel country through Østerdalen’s forests to Røros, the UNESCO copper town still timber-built and soot-dark.",247,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rorosbanen/
inlandsbanan,Inlandsbanan,Mora,Gällivare,scenic,Y1 diesel railcars,Inlandståg,1070,80,2 days,1937,,SE,Sweden,"Two summer days up Sweden’s green spine — moose at the window and a trackside stop at the Arctic Circle, where everyone piles out for photographs.",76,https://trainrouter.com/routes/inlandsbanan/
tren-de-soller,Tren de Sóller,Palma,Sóller,scenic,Vintage wooden electrics,Ferrocarril de Sóller,27,40,≈ 1 h,1912,,ES,Spain,Varnished mahogany carriages from 1912 thread thirteen tunnels through the Tramuntana into Sóller’s orange-grove valley — Mallorca’s rolling time machine.,182,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-de-soller/
crescent,Crescent,New York,New Orleans,night,Amtrak Viewliner II,Amtrak,2216,201,≈ 30 h,1925,300000,US,United States,"Heir to the 1925 Crescent Limited — Manhattan to the French Quarter past Blue Ridge foothills, midnight Atlanta and a dawn crawl across Lake Pontchartrain.",159,https://trainrouter.com/routes/crescent/
cardinal,Cardinal,New York,Chicago,night,Amtrak Amfleet & Viewliner,Amtrak,1844,201,≈ 28 h,1977,110000,US,United States,Amtrak’s slowest way to Chicago and its prettiest — tri-weekly through Virginia horse country and the whitewater canyons of the New River Gorge.,165,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cardinal/
lake-shore-limited,Lake Shore Limited,New York,Chicago,night,Amtrak Viewliner II,Amtrak,1543,177,≈ 19 h,1897,350000,US,United States,"Heir to the New York Central’s 1897 Water Level Route — up the Hudson at dusk, along Lake Erie by night, into Chicago with morning coffee.",157,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lake-shore-limited/
silver-meteor,Silver Meteor,New York,Miami,night,Amtrak Viewliner II,Amtrak,2235,201,≈ 28 h,1939,300000,US,United States,"The Seaboard streamliner that opened Florida’s diesel age in 1939 — 28 hours from Penn Station to palm-lined Miami, still running nightly.",158,https://trainrouter.com/routes/silver-meteor/
texas-eagle,Texas Eagle,Chicago,San Antonio,night,Amtrak Superliner,Amtrak,2102,177,≈ 32 h,1948,300000,US,United States,"A Missouri Pacific name kept alive from the Loop to the Alamo — with through sleepers to Los Angeles, one of the longest runs on the Amtrak map.",163,https://trainrouter.com/routes/texas-eagle/
amtrak-cascades,Amtrak Cascades,Vancouver,Eugene,classic,Siemens Airo (from 2026),Amtrak / WSDOT & ODOT,752,127,≈ 11 h,1998,800000,CA|US,Canada|United States,"Salish Sea beaches, Puget Sound ferries and Willamette farmland — the Pacific Northwest’s green corridor train, re-equipping with new Airo sets in 2026.",217,https://trainrouter.com/routes/amtrak-cascades/
adirondack,Adirondack,New York,Montréal,classic,Amfleet coaches,Amtrak,613,177,≈ 11 h,1974,90000,US|CA,United States|Canada,"Hudson castles, Lake Champlain narrows and border-country vineyards — widely called the most scenic day train in the eastern United States.",236,https://trainrouter.com/routes/adirondack/
floridian,Floridian,Chicago,Miami,night,Amtrak Superliner,Amtrak,3340,127,≈ 47 h,2024,,US,United States,"Born of a 2024 tunnel-works merger of two classic trains — one seat from Lake Michigan over the Alleghenies to Tampa and Miami, nearly two days aboard.",386,https://trainrouter.com/routes/floridian/
grand-canyon-railway,Grand Canyon Railway,Williams,Grand Canyon Village,scenic,Vintage Pullmans & F40 diesels,Grand Canyon Railway (Xanterra),103,64,2 h 15 min,1901,225000,US,United States,Since 1901 the painless way to the South Rim — vintage Pullmans roll across pine forest and high prairie to a log depot steps from the abyss.,52,https://trainrouter.com/routes/grand-canyon-railway/
cumbres-toltec,Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad,Antonito,Chama,scenic,D&RGW K-36 steam 2-8-2,Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad,103,24,6 h 30 min,1880,45000,US,United States,"America’s highest steam railroad, 1880 Rio Grande narrow gauge — K-36 Mikados storm 3,054 m Cumbres Pass and teeter along the Toltec Gorge rim.",57,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cumbres-toltec/
mount-washington-cog,Mount Washington Cog Railway,Marshfield Base Station,Mount Washington Summit,scenic,Marsh-rack steam & biodiesel,Mount Washington Cog Railway,4.8,10,40 min,1869,110000,US,United States,"The world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway (1869) — still shoving trains up a 37% grade to New England’s stormiest, windiest summit.",33,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mount-washington-cog/
white-pass-yukon,White Pass & Yukon Route,Skagway,Carcross,scenic,Narrow-gauge parlor cars & steam No. 73,White Pass & Yukon Route,109,32,4 h 30 min,1900,500000,US|CA,United States|Canada,"Blasted through gold-rush cliffs in 26 months (1898–1900) — 900 m of climbing out of Skagway on cantilever bridges, then along Lake Bennett to the Yukon.",45,https://trainrouter.com/routes/white-pass-yukon/
pikes-peak-cog,Pikes Peak Cog Railway,Manitou Springs,Pikes Peak Summit,scenic,Stadler cog railcars,Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway,14,19,1 h 10 min,1891,,US,United States,"North America’s highest railway, rebuilt with Swiss railcars in 2021 — climbing since 1891 to the 4,302 m summit that inspired “America the Beautiful”.",134,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pikes-peak-cog/
via-skeena,Skeena,Jasper,Prince Rupert,scenic,Budd stainless-steel cars,VIA Rail,1160,100,≈ 32 h,1914,,CA,Canada,"Two daylight days from the Rockies to the Pacific — Mount Robson, totem-pole country at Hazelton and the Skeena’s misty canyons, overnighting in Prince George.",244,https://trainrouter.com/routes/via-skeena/
polar-bear-express,Polar Bear Express,Cochrane,Moosonee,classic,Ontario Northland coaches,Ontario Northland,299,80,5 h,1932,,CA,Canada,"No road reaches Moosonee — Ontario Northland’s lifeline train rolls 300 km of spruce and muskeg to tidewater on James Bay, canoes and pickups riding along.",477,https://trainrouter.com/routes/polar-bear-express/
tren-interoceanico,Tren Interoceánico,Salina Cruz,Coatzacoalcos,classic,FIT 3000-series diesel,Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec,308,120,6 h 20 min,2023,,MX,Mexico,"The 1907 Tehuantepec route reborn in 2023 — ocean to ocean across Mexico’s narrowest waist, from Pacific salt winds to the Gulf refineries.",693,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-interoceanico/
el-insurgente,El Insurgente,Mexico City,Zinacantepec,classic,CAF Civity EMU,Gobierno de México (SICT),58,160,50 min,2023,,MX,Mexico,Mexico’s 160 km/h interurban tunnels out of the Valley of Toluca — since February 2026 running the full 58 km into Observatorio in the capital.,737,https://trainrouter.com/routes/el-insurgente/
panama-canal-railway,Panama Canal Railway,Panama City,Colón,classic,F40 diesels & dome car,Panama Canal Railway Co. (APM Terminals),77,88,1 h,1855,,PA,Panama,"The world’s first transcontinental railroad (1855) — an hour ocean-to-ocean beside the Canal locks, skimming causeways through Gatún Lake jungle.",533,https://trainrouter.com/routes/panama-canal-railway/
tren-lima-huancayo,Ferrocarril Central Andino,Lima,Huancayo,scenic,Coche turístico & clásico,Ferrocarril Central Andino,346,60,≈ 14 h,1908,,PE,Peru,"A handful of departures a year over the 4,783 m Galera tunnel — zigzags, 58 bridges and oxygen on tap aboard Earth’s second-highest railway.",250,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-lima-huancayo/
perurail-titicaca,PeruRail Titicaca,Cusco,Puno,scenic,PeruRail Titicaca coaches,PeruRail,388,60,10 h 30 min,1908,,PE,Peru,"Ten leisurely hours across the altiplano from Cusco to Lake Titicaca — white-linen lunch and an open observation car over the 4,319 m La Raya pass.",248,https://trainrouter.com/routes/perurail-titicaca/
tren-patagonico,Tren Patagónico,Viedma,Bariloche,night,"Sleepers, pullman & cinema car",Tren Patagónico S.A.,826,90,≈ 19 h,1934,,AR,Argentina,"Friday nights out of Viedma — sleeper berths, a dining car and an onboard cinema crawl across the Río Negro steppe to the lakes of Bariloche.",212,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-patagonico/
tren-fin-del-mundo,Tren del Fin del Mundo,Ushuaia,Tierra del Fuego National Park,scenic,500 mm-gauge steam,Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino,7,15,50 min,1909,,AR,Argentina,"The southernmost railway on Earth — a 500 mm steam line laid by Ushuaia’s prison labourers in 1909, now puffing into Tierra del Fuego National Park.",85,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-fin-del-mundo/
expreso-del-sur,Expreso del Sur,Oruro,Villazón,night,Salón & ejecutivo coaches,Empresa Ferroviaria Andina (FCA),590,90,≈ 15 h 30 min,1925,,BO,Bolivia,"Tuesdays and Fridays out of Oruro — past Lake Poopó’s salt shores to Uyuni by night, then down the quebradas to the Argentine border at Villazón.",339,https://trainrouter.com/routes/expreso-del-sur/
efe-santiago-chillan,Tren Santiago–Chillán,Santiago,Chillán,classic,CRRC EMU,EFE Trenes de Chile,398,160,4 h 25 min,2023,,CL,Chile,South America’s fastest scheduled trains — 160 km/h EMUs launched in 2023 sprint down Chile’s Central Valley past vineyards and snow-capped volcanoes.,672,https://trainrouter.com/routes/efe-santiago-chillan/
buscarril-talca-constitucion,Buscarril Talca–Constitución,Talca,Constitución,scenic,Ferrostaal buscarril railcar,EFE Trenes de Chile,88,50,≈ 3 h,1915,,CL,Chile,"Chile’s last country branch line, a National Monument — a little railbus threads the Maule river gorge to vineyards and hamlets no road reaches.",290,https://trainrouter.com/routes/buscarril-talca-constitucion/
trem-do-corcovado,Trem do Corcovado,Rio de Janeiro,Corcovado,scenic,Swiss rack EMU,Trem do Corcovado,3.8,15,20 min,1884,600000,BR,Brazil,Brazil’s first electrified railway (1884) — a rack train climbing 700 m through Tijuca rainforest to Christ the Redeemer above Rio.,154,https://trainrouter.com/routes/trem-do-corcovado/
trem-carajas,Estrada de Ferro Carajás,São Luís,Parauapebas,classic,CRRC coaches (2025 fleet),Vale,892,80,≈ 16 h,1985,400000,BR,Brazil,"One of the world’s great everyday long hauls — 16 hours through Amazon-edge towns, sharing rails with 300-plus-wagon iron-ore trains bound for Carajás.",221,https://trainrouter.com/routes/trem-carajas/
turistren-bogota,Tren de la Sabana,Bogotá,Zipaquirá,scenic,Steam-hauled heritage coaches,Turistren,53,40,2 h,1992,,CO,Colombia,Weekend steam across the Bogotá savanna — brass-era locomotives and papayera bands rolling to Zipaquirá’s underground Salt Cathedral.,229,https://trainrouter.com/routes/turistren-bogota/
howrah-rajdhani,Howrah Rajdhani,New Delhi,Kolkata,night,LHB Rajdhani rake,Indian Railways,1447,130,≈ 17 h,1969,,IN,India,"India’s first Rajdhani (1969) — the all-air-conditioned overnight flagship racing the Grand Chord from the capital to Kolkata, dinner and bedrolls at your berth.",393,https://trainrouter.com/routes/howrah-rajdhani/
vande-bharat-bhopal,Bhopal Vande Bharat,New Delhi,Bhopal,high-speed,Vande Bharat EMU,Indian Railways,702,160,7 h 30 min,2023,,IN,India,"India’s fastest timetabled train — a home-built Vande Bharat touching 160 km/h past Agra and Gwalior, capital to Bhopal in seven and a half hours.",558,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vande-bharat-bhopal/
deccan-queen,Deccan Queen,Mumbai,Pune,classic,WAP-7 · LHB rake,Indian Railways,192,110,3 h 10 min,1930,,IN,India,"Maharashtra’s beloved “Queen” since 1930 — India’s first deluxe electric express, still climbing the monsoon-soaked Bhor Ghat with the network’s last dining car.",505,https://trainrouter.com/routes/deccan-queen/
matheran-hill-railway,Matheran Hill Railway,Neral,Matheran,scenic,NDM narrow-gauge diesel,Indian Railways,21,20,2 h 40 min,1907,,IN,India,"A 1907 two-foot-gauge toy train corkscrewing 21 km up to a car-free hill station — 281 curves, the “One Kiss Tunnel”, and monkeys pacing the carriages.",306,https://trainrouter.com/routes/matheran-hill-railway/
maharajas-express,Maharajas’ Express,Delhi,Delhi,night,IRCTC luxury rake,IRCTC,2400,100,7 days,2010,,IN,India,"IRCTC’s rolling palace — a week-long royal loop from Delhi through Ranthambore’s tigers, champagne breakfast beside the Taj, and evening prayers on the Ganges.",40,https://trainrouter.com/routes/maharajas-express/
island-express,Island Express,Bengaluru,Kanniyakumari,night,WAP-7 express rake,Indian Railways,929,110,18 h 40 min,1940,,IN,India,Kerala’s workhorse since 1940 — overnight from Bengaluru’s plateau down the palm-and-backwater coast to the subcontinent’s southernmost station at Kanniyakumari.,416,https://trainrouter.com/routes/island-express/
golden-temple-mail,Golden Temple Mail,Mumbai,Amritsar,classic,WAP-7 · LHB rake,Indian Railways,1890,110,≈ 32 h,1928,,IN,India,"Born 1928 as the Frontier Mail to Peshawar — the Raj’s most glamorous train still runs daily, Mumbai to the Golden Temple’s city, 1,890 km up the map.",242,https://trainrouter.com/routes/golden-temple-mail/
green-line-express,Green Line Express,Karachi,Islamabad,night,AC sleeper rake,Pakistan Railways,1515,105,≈ 22 h,2015,,PK,Pakistan,"Pakistan’s premium flagship since 2015 — 22 hours up the Indus valley from Karachi’s sea air to Islamabad’s Margalla foothills, meals and bedding included.",390,https://trainrouter.com/routes/green-line-express/
khyber-mail,Khyber Mail,Karachi,Peshawar,night,Mail sleeper rake,Pakistan Railways,1732,105,≈ 32 h,1920,,PK,Pakistan,"Rolling since 1920 and named for the pass beyond Peshawar — Pakistan’s grand old mail train, two nights along the Indus, a lounge diner added in 2024.",80,https://trainrouter.com/routes/khyber-mail/
sonar-bangla-express,Sonar Bangla Express,Dhaka,Chattogram,classic,INKA air-con rake,Bangladesh Railway,321,100,4 h 55 min,2016,,BD,Bangladesh,Bangladesh’s premier near-non-stop — Dhaka to the port city of Chattogram in under five hours aboard Indonesian-built carriages with airline-style catering.,688,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sonar-bangla-express/
coxs-bazar-express,Cox’s Bazar Express,Dhaka,Cox’s Bazar,night,Hyundai Rotem coaches,Bangladesh Railway,551,100,8 h 20 min,2023,,BD,Bangladesh,Opened 2023 to the world’s longest natural beach — an overnight glide from Dhaka to a seashell-shaped terminus a rickshaw ride from the surf.,429,https://trainrouter.com/routes/coxs-bazar-express/
janakpur-railway,Janakpur Railway,Jaynagar,Bijalpura,classic,Nepal Railways DEMU,Nepal Railways,52,80,≈ 2 h,2022,,IN|NP,India|Nepal,"Nepal’s only passenger railway, reborn in 2022 — a crimson DEMU ferrying pilgrims across the border plain from Jaynagar to Sita’s temple city of Janakpur.",739,https://trainrouter.com/routes/janakpur-railway/
ruhunu-kumari,Ruhunu Kumari,Colombo,Matara,scenic,Class S12 DMU,Sri Lanka Railways,158,100,3 h 50 min,1955,,LK,Sri Lanka,Sri Lanka’s first intercity express (1955) — hugging the Indian Ocean so closely between Colombo and Galle that spray from the breakers reaches the footboards.,364,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ruhunu-kumari/
yangon-circular,Yangon Circular Railway,Yangon,Yangon,classic,RBE railcars (ex-JR),Myanma Railways,46,40,≈ 3 h,1954,,MM,Myanmar,"A 46 km loop through Yangon life — monks, hawkers and vegetable baskets aboard ex-Japanese railcars, three unhurried hours for pocket change.",94,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yangon-circular/
bangkok-vientiane-express,Bangkok–Vientiane Express,Bangkok,Vientiane,night,SRT through sleeper,State Railway of Thailand,647,100,11 h 40 min,2024,,TH|LA,Thailand|Laos,"Since July 2024 the sleeper rolls straight across the Mekong Friendship Bridge — asleep past Ayutthaya, awake in Laos: the first direct rails into Vientiane.",425,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bangkok-vientiane-express/
hat-yai-special-express,Hat Yai Special Express,Bangkok,Hat Yai,night,CNR sleeper,State Railway of Thailand,945,120,≈ 16 h,1918,,TH,Thailand,"Thailand’s southern flagship — 945 km down the Kra Isthmus past Hua Hin’s royal station and Surat Thani’s ferry piers, the sleeper gateway to Malaysia.",327,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hat-yai-special-express/
phnom-penh-sihanoukville,Royal Railway Southern Line,Phnom Penh,Sihanoukville,classic,Refurbished railcar sets,Royal Railway,264,60,5 h 40 min,1969,,KH,Cambodia,"Weekend trains on Cambodia’s 1960s line to the sea, revived in 2016 — through Takeo and Kampot’s pepper country to Sihanoukville’s beaches.",353,https://trainrouter.com/routes/phnom-penh-sihanoukville/
ekspres-rakyat-timuran,Ekspres Rakyat Timuran,Johor Bahru,Tumpat,night,KTM Class 26 sleeper,KTM Berhad,725,100,≈ 17 h,1931,,MY,Malaysia,"Malaysia’s last sleeper — the overnight “Jungle Railway” threading rainforest, limestone gorges and sleepy kampungs from Johor Bahru to the Thai border.",334,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ekspres-rakyat-timuran/
argo-bromo-anggrek,Argo Bromo Anggrek,Jakarta,Surabaya,classic,INKA New Generation set,Kereta Api Indonesia,725,120,7 h 45 min,1997,,ID,Indonesia,"Pride of Java’s north coast since 1997 — Jakarta to Surabaya in under eight hours with two stops, now carrying KAI’s first Suite Class compartments.",640,https://trainrouter.com/routes/argo-bromo-anggrek/
argo-wilis,Argo Wilis,Bandung,Surabaya,scenic,Stainless-steel eksekutif rake,Kereta Api Indonesia,696,120,≈ 10 h 30 min,1998,,ID,Indonesia,"The great trans-Java day train — sweeping around the Lebakjero horseshoe beneath Priangan’s volcanoes, then along the southern rice plains to Surabaya.",345,https://trainrouter.com/routes/argo-wilis/
bima-express,Bima,Jakarta,Surabaya,night,Eksekutif night rake,Kereta Api Indonesia,825,120,≈ 12 h,1967,,ID,Indonesia,Indonesia’s original air-conditioned night train (1967) — the “Biru Malam” still slips out of Jakarta at dusk and glides past Yogyakarta before dawn.,418,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bima-express/
tehran-mashhad,Tehran–Mashhad Express,Tehran,Mashhad,night,Fadak five-star sleeper,Islamic Republic of Iran Railways,926,160,≈ 11 h,1957,,IR,Iran,Iran’s busiest corridor — five-star Fadak sleepers glide 926 km east past desert caravanserai country to Imam Reza’s shrine city of Mashhad.,417,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tehran-mashhad/
trans-iranian-railway,Trans-Iranian Railway,Tehran,Khorramshahr,scenic,RAJA sleeper,Islamic Republic of Iran Railways,937,100,≈ 15 h,1938,,IR,Iran,The UNESCO-listed 1938 masterpiece paid for by taxes on tea and sugar — night trains spiral down the Zagros through a maze of tunnels to the Gulf plain.,47,https://trainrouter.com/routes/trans-iranian-railway/
baghdad-basra,Baghdad–Basra Night Train,Baghdad,Basra,night,CSR sleeper DMU,Iraqi Republic Railways,550,100,8 h 30 min,2014,,IQ,Iraq,"Iraq back on rails — since 2014 a Chinese-built sleeper DMU hums south past Babylon and the Euphrates towns, Baghdad to Basra by breakfast.",430,https://trainrouter.com/routes/baghdad-basra/
etihad-rail,Etihad Rail,Abu Dhabi,Fujairah,high-speed,CAF intercity sets,Etihad Rail,250,200,1 h 45 min,2026,,AE,United Arab Emirates,"The UAE’s first passenger railway, launched June 2026 — 200 km/h out of Abu Dhabi and through Hajar mountain tunnels to Fujairah in 105 minutes.",618,https://trainrouter.com/routes/etihad-rail/
northeast-regional,Northeast Regional,Boston,Washington,classic,Amfleet I · Siemens ACS-64,Amtrak,735,201,7 h 52 min,1995,12018536,US,United States,Amtrak’s busiest train — over 12 million riders a year — racing the electrified Northeast Corridor at up to 125 mph without the Acela fare.,214,https://trainrouter.com/routes/northeast-regional/
vermonter,Vermonter,Washington,St. Albans,classic,Amfleet · GE P42DC,Amtrak,983,201,12 h 40 min,1995,115940,US,United States,One of Amtrak’s longest daytime runs; trains reverse at Springfield to swing up the Connecticut River valley into Vermont’s Green Mountains.,235,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vermonter/
downeaster,Downeaster,Boston,Brunswick,classic,Amfleet · GE P42DC,Amtrak · NNEPRA,233,127,3 h 30 min,2001,598426,US,United States,"Maine’s state-run link passed 10 million riders in December 2024, serving coastal Old Orchard Beach and the outlet town of Freeport.",219,https://trainrouter.com/routes/downeaster/
ethan-allen-express,Ethan Allen Express,New York,Burlington,classic,Amfleet · GE P32AC-DM,Amtrak,500,177,7 h 35 min,1996,85314,US,United States,"In July 2022 it became the first passenger train to reach Burlington in 69 years, extending north from Rutland along Lake Champlain.",238,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ethan-allen-express/
maple-leaf-nyc-toronto,Maple Leaf,New York,Toronto,classic,Amfleet · GE P32AC-DM,Amtrak · VIA Rail,875,177,12 h 30 min,1981,,US|CA,United States|Canada,"The only Amtrak–VIA joint train: passengers clear customs at Niagara Falls, where the line crosses the gorge beside the thundering cataract.",639,https://trainrouter.com/routes/maple-leaf-nyc-toronto/
pennsylvanian,Pennsylvanian,New York,Pittsburgh,classic,Amfleet · Siemens ACS-64,Amtrak,715,201,9 h 15 min,1980,236003,US,United States,Sweeps around Horseshoe Curve near Altoona — the 1854 engineering landmark that finally tamed the Allegheny grade.,225,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pennsylvanian/
piedmont-raleigh-charlotte,Piedmont,Raleigh,Charlotte,classic,NCDOT F59PH · rebuilt streamliner cars,Amtrak · NCDOT,278,127,3 h 10 min,1995,300000,US,United States,"North Carolina’s home-grown corridor — the state owns the trains, a fleet of rebuilt 1960s streamliner cars, running four round trips a day.",223,https://trainrouter.com/routes/piedmont-raleigh-charlotte/
heartland-flyer,Heartland Flyer,Oklahoma City,Fort Worth,classic,Superliner · GE P42DC,Amtrak · ODOT/TxDOT,332,127,4 h,1999,80371,US,United States,"Oklahoma’s only Amtrak train and the sole daily rail link into Texas, timed at Fort Worth to meet the Chicago–LA Texas Eagle.",239,https://trainrouter.com/routes/heartland-flyer/
carolinian,Carolinian,New York,Charlotte,classic,Amfleet · Siemens ACS-64,Amtrak · NCDOT,1133,201,13 h 31 min,1990,347360,US,United States,"At 704 miles the longest state-supported route in the Amtrak system, swapping its electric locomotive for a diesel at Washington.",222,https://trainrouter.com/routes/carolinian/
wolverine,Wolverine,Chicago,Pontiac,classic,Siemens Venture · Charger,Amtrak · MDOT,489,177,6 h,1971,438427,US,United States,Hits 110 mph on state-owned track between Kalamazoo and Dearborn — one of the few 100-mph corridors outside the Northeast.,220,https://trainrouter.com/routes/wolverine/
hiawatha-chicago-milwaukee,Hiawatha,Chicago,Milwaukee,classic,Horizon · Siemens Charger,Amtrak · IDOT/WisDOT,138,127,1 h 29 min,1971,631990,US,United States,The Midwest’s busiest corridor — seven round trips a day linking downtown Chicago and Milwaukee in about 90 minutes.,218,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hiawatha-chicago-milwaukee/
san-joaquins,San Joaquins,Oakland,Bakersfield,classic,Siemens Venture · Charger,Amtrak · SJJPA,507,127,6 h,1974,899903,US,United States,"A Central Valley workhorse whose Thruway buses fan out to Yosemite, LA and the coast; over half of riders connect to a bus.",216,https://trainrouter.com/routes/san-joaquins/
capitol-corridor,Capitol Corridor,San Jose,Auburn,classic,California Car · Siemens Charger,Amtrak · CCJPA,270,127,3 h 15 min,1991,1138753,US,United States,"Amtrak’s fourth-busiest route, hugging San Pablo Bay from Silicon Valley to the Sierra foothills; one daily train runs the full climb to Auburn.",215,https://trainrouter.com/routes/capitol-corridor/
cass-scenic-railroad,Cass Scenic Railroad,Cass,Bald Knob,scenic,Shay geared steam,Mountain Rail WV · WV State Parks,35,24,4 h 30 min,1901,,US,United States,"Home to the world’s largest fleet of geared Shay steam locomotives, grinding up 11% grades to Bald Knob, 4,842 ft — West Virginia’s third-highest point.",175,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cass-scenic-railroad/
verde-canyon-railroad,Verde Canyon Railroad,Clarkdale,Perkinsville,scenic,EMD FP7 · vintage coaches,Verde Canyon Railroad,64,19,4 h,1912,100000,US,United States,"Two 1953 FP7 diesels, once Alaska Railroad engines, thread a 680-ft curved tunnel and a red-rock canyon that shelters nesting bald eagles.",148,https://trainrouter.com/routes/verde-canyon-railroad/
napa-valley-wine-train,Napa Valley Wine Train,Napa,St. Helena,scenic,Alco FPA4 · 1915 Pullman cars,Napa Valley Wine Train,58,29,3 h,1864,100000,US,United States,"Guests wine and dine in restored early-1900s Pullman lounge cars behind vintage 1950s Alco diesels, rolling past Napa vineyards at a tasting pace.",149,https://trainrouter.com/routes/napa-valley-wine-train/
great-smoky-mountains-railroad,Great Smoky Mountains Railroad,Bryson City,Nantahala Gorge,scenic,EMD diesel · Baldwin 1702 steam,Great Smoky Mountains Railroad,71,30,4 h 30 min,1988,200000,US,United States,The spectacular train-wreck scene in The Fugitive (1993) was staged on this line; the wrecked locomotive still sits trackside near Dillsboro.,153,https://trainrouter.com/routes/great-smoky-mountains-railroad/
georgetown-loop-railroad,Georgetown Loop Railroad,Georgetown,Silver Plume,scenic,3-ft narrow-gauge steam,Georgetown Loop Railroad,7,16,1 h 15 min,1884,,US,United States,"To gain 640 ft between two towns just 2 miles apart, the narrow gauge spirals over itself on the Devil’s Gate High Bridge — an 1884 marvel rebuilt in 1984.",205,https://trainrouter.com/routes/georgetown-loop-railroad/
skunk-train,Skunk Train,Fort Bragg,Glen Blair,scenic,GP9 diesel · vintage motorcar,California Western Railroad,11,24,1 h 30 min,1885,60000,US,United States,Nicknamed the “Skunk” in 1925 for its reeking gas railcars — you smelled it before you saw it — still winding out of Fort Bragg through the coast redwoods.,150,https://trainrouter.com/routes/skunk-train/
mount-hood-railroad,Mount Hood Railroad,Hood River,Parkdale,scenic,EMD GP9 · excursion coaches,Mount Hood Railroad,34,32,2 h 30 min,1906,,US,United States,"Climbs the orchard-filled Hood River valley toward 11,240-ft Mount Hood, reversing up one of just five railroad switchbacks still in regular US use.",301,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mount-hood-railroad/
via-toronto-ottawa,VIA Rail Corridor,Toronto,Ottawa,classic,Siemens Venture,VIA Rail Canada,450,160,4 h 8 min,1978,,CA,Canada,"VIA’s new Siemens Venture trainsets made their Toronto debut on this Ottawa run in October 2024, cruising at up to 160 km/h.",665,https://trainrouter.com/routes/via-toronto-ottawa/
via-toronto-montreal,VIA Rail Corridor,Toronto,Montreal,classic,Siemens Venture,VIA Rail Canada,541,160,4 h 56 min,1978,,CA,Canada,"Rides the Grand Trunk main line of 1856, which once cut the Toronto–Montreal journey from five days to fourteen hours.",655,https://trainrouter.com/routes/via-toronto-montreal/
via-montreal-quebec,VIA Rail Corridor,Montreal,Quebec City,classic,Siemens Venture,VIA Rail Canada,270,160,2 h 43 min,1978,,CA,Canada,"The quickest run reaches Québec City’s château-style Gare du Palais in about 2 h 43 min, tracing the south shore of the St. Lawrence.",703,https://trainrouter.com/routes/via-montreal-quebec/
agawa-canyon-tour-train,Agawa Canyon Tour Train,Sault Ste. Marie,Agawa Canyon,scenic,GP38 diesel · coaches,Agawa Canyon Railroad (Watco),183,64,10 h,1964,30000,CA,Canada,A 10-hour day trip 114 miles north into a wilderness canyon whose blazing autumn colours inspired Canada’s Group of Seven painters.,166,https://trainrouter.com/routes/agawa-canyon-tour-train/
jose-cuervo-express,José Cuervo Express,Guadalajara,Tequila,scenic,Ferromex diesel · lounge coaches,José Cuervo · Ferromex,64,60,2 h,2012,,MX,Mexico,"Pours tequila and stages mariachi as it rolls through UNESCO-listed blue-agave fields to the spirit’s namesake town, Tequila.",371,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jose-cuervo-express/
tren-frances-havana-santiago,Tren Francés,Havana,Santiago de Cuba,classic,CRRC coaches · diesel,Ferrocarriles de Cuba,854,100,15 h,1902,,CU,Cuba,"Named for the ex-French TEE coaches France sold Cuba in 2000; Chinese-built cars now run this 854 km island-spanning line, often only every few days.",438,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-frances-havana-santiago/
nariz-del-diablo,Nariz del Diablo,Alausí,Sibambe,scenic,diesel · tourist coaches,Ferrocarriles del Ecuador,12,30,2 h 30 min,1902,,EC,Ecuador,"To scale the sheer “Devil’s Nose” cliff the line zig-zags up a Z-shaped switchback, edging forward then reversing; reopened in August 2025 after five years shut.",103,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nariz-del-diablo/
ferrocarril-ezequiel-zamora,Ferrocarril Ezequiel Zamora,Caracas,Cúa,classic,CAF electric multiple unit,IFE,41,120,31 min,2006,,VE,Venezuela,Venezuela’s flagship modern railway bores through long mountain tunnels at 120 km/h to link Caracas with the Tuy-valley town of Cúa in just 31 minutes.,741,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ferrocarril-ezequiel-zamora/
buenos-aires-mar-del-plata,Tren a Mar del Plata,Buenos Aires,Mar del Plata,classic,CRRC coaches · diesel,Trenes Argentinos,400,120,6 h,1886,,AR,Argentina,"Rails reached the great Atlantic beach resort in 1886; today Chinese-built coaches cross 400 km of pampas from Constitución, packed with summer crowds.",461,https://trainrouter.com/routes/buenos-aires-mar-del-plata/
tren-de-las-sierras-cordoba,Tren de las Sierras,Córdoba,Cosquín,scenic,ex-CP railcar (Emepa Alerce),Trenes Argentinos,56,50,2 h,1889,,AR,Argentina,"Revived in 2007, this 1889 line threads the Punilla valley past Lake San Roque, carrying refurbished ex-Portuguese railcars up into the Sierras de Córdoba.",295,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-de-las-sierras-cordoba/
tren-tacuarembo-rivera,AFE Tacuarembó–Rivera,Tacuarembó,Rivera,classic,Y1 railcar (ex-SJ),AFE,130,90,2 h 10 min,1892,,UY,Uruguay,Uruguay’s last passenger train — Swedish-built Y1 railcars rattle five days a week through the northern hills to the Brazilian border at Rivera.,523,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-tacuarembo-rivera/
eip-warsaw-katowice,Express InterCity Premium,Warsaw,Katowice,classic,Pendolino ED250,PKP Intercity,298,200,2 h 20 min,2014,,PL,Poland,"Poland’s fastest train, hitting 200 km/h on the dead-straight Central Rail Line (CMK) engineered for high speed back in the 1970s.",695,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eip-warsaw-katowice/
eic-warsaw-poznan,Express InterCity,Warsaw,Poznań,classic,EU44 Husarz + coaches,PKP Intercity,311,160,2 h 35 min,1921,,PL,Poland,Historic trunk line on the Paris–Berlin–Warszawa–Moscow corridor; the same rails carry the Berlin-Warszawa-Express onward to Germany.,473,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eic-warsaw-poznan/
tlk-warsaw-przemysl,IC Przemyślanin,Warsaw,Przemyśl,classic,EU44 Husarz + coaches,PKP Intercity,395,160,5 h,1861,,PL,Poland,"Crosses Poland to Przemyśl, the southeastern gateway where standard gauge meets Ukraine’s broad gauge — handover point for Kyiv-bound trains.",463,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tlk-warsaw-przemysl/
krakow-zakopane-tatra,Kraków–Zakopane,Kraków,Zakopane,scenic,EN76 Elf / IC coaches,PKP Intercity · Koleje Małopolskie,147,100,2 h 45 min,1899,,PL,Poland,"Climbs from Kraków into the Tatra Mountains on the rebuilt line to Zakopane, Poland’s highest town and winter-sports capital.",275,https://trainrouter.com/routes/krakow-zakopane-tatra/
pendolino-prague-ostrava,SC Pendolino,Prague,Ostrava,classic,ČD Class 680,České dráhy,356,160,3 h 7 min,2005,,CZ,Czechia,Czechia’s flagship tilting Pendolino links Prague with Moravia’s industrial capital Ostrava via the cathedral city of Olomouc.,678,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pendolino-prague-ostrava/
regiojet-prague-brno,RegioJet,Prague,Brno,classic,Astra / Bmpz coaches,RegioJet,256,160,2 h 33 min,2016,,CZ,Czechia,Yellow open-access trains with steward service and free coffee — RegioJet broke the state railway’s grip on the Prague–Brno run.,704,https://trainrouter.com/routes/regiojet-prague-brno/
express-prague-cheb,Praha–Cheb Express,Prague,Cheb,classic,ČD Class 380 push-pull,České dráhy,219,160,3 h 3 min,1862,,CZ,Czechia,"Heads west through Plzeň, birthplace of Pilsner lager, to the spa-country town of Cheb near the German border.",495,https://trainrouter.com/routes/express-prague-cheb/
tanvald-korenov-cog,Zubačka Rack Railway,Tanvald,Harrachov,scenic,ČSD Class 426.0 rack,České dráhy,13,30,35 min,1902,,CZ,Czechia,"Czechia’s only cog railway, climbing the Jizera Mountains on an Abt rack at a gradient of 58‰ — a national record.",314,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tanvald-korenov-cog/
tez-poprad-strbske-pleso,Tatra Electric Railway (TEŽ),Poprad,Štrbské Pleso,scenic,ŽSSK Class 425.95,ZSSK,29,60,1 h 5 min,1912,,SK,Slovakia,"Metre-gauge electric cars climb to the High Tatra resort of Štrbské Pleso at 1,320 m, Slovakia’s highest railway station.",303,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tez-poprad-strbske-pleso/
mav-budapest-balaton,Balaton InterCity,Budapest,Siófok,classic,Stadler KISS,MÁV-START,115,120,1 h 30 min,1861,,HU,Hungary,"Summer expresses to Siófok on the south shore of Lake Balaton, central Europe’s largest lake and Hungary’s beach playground.",527,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mav-budapest-balaton/
mav-budapest-debrecen,InterCity Debrecen,Budapest,Debrecen,classic,Traxx + IC+ coaches,MÁV-START,221,160,2 h 20 min,1857,,HU,Hungary,"Hourly InterCity across the Great Hungarian Plain to Debrecen, the nation’s second city, on the 160 km/h eastern main line.",493,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mav-budapest-debrecen/
mav-budapest-pecs,InterCity Pécs,Budapest,Pécs,classic,Traxx + IC+ coaches,MÁV-START,229,140,2 h 40 min,1882,,HU,Hungary,"InterCity to Pécs, a sun-warmed city of Roman tombs and an Ottoman mosque near the Croatian border in southern Hungary.",489,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mav-budapest-pecs/
budapest-childrens-railway,Children’s Railway (Gyermekvasút),Széchenyi-hegy,Hűvösvölgy,scenic,Mk45 + narrow-gauge coaches,MÁV-START,11,20,45 min,1950,,HU,Hungary,A 760 mm line through the Buda Hills staffed almost entirely by children aged 10–14 — a Young Pioneer legacy still running today.,381,https://trainrouter.com/routes/budapest-childrens-railway/
cfr-bucharest-cluj,InterRegio Cluj,Bucharest,Cluj-Napoca,classic,CFR IR coaches,CFR Călători,497,120,8 h,1879,,RO,Romania,"The long haul from Bucharest over the Carpathians via Brașov and medieval Sighișoara to Cluj-Napoca, heart of Transylvania.",448,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cfr-bucharest-cluj/
cfr-bucharest-timisoara,InterRegio Timișoara,Bucharest,Timișoara,classic,CFR IR coaches,CFR Călători,533,120,8 h 30 min,1879,,RO,Romania,"Follows the Danube past the Iron Gates gorge, then climbs to Timișoara, the Banat city where Romania’s 1989 revolution ignited.",445,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cfr-bucharest-timisoara/
mocanita-vaser-valley,Mocănița Vaser Valley,Vișeu de Sus,Paltin,scenic,O&K / Reșița steam,CFF Vișeu de Sus,21,15,2 h,1933,,RO,Romania,"The world’s last steam-hauled forestry railway still logging, chuffing up the wild Vaser gorge in Maramureș toward the Ukrainian border.",189,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mocanita-vaser-valley/
sibiu-brasov-cfr,InterRegio Sibiu–Brașov,Sibiu,Brașov,classic,Electric loco + coaches,CFR Călători,149,100,2 h 40 min,1892,,RO,Romania,"Runs beneath the Făgăraș Mountains, Romania’s highest, along the Olt valley between the Saxon citadels of Sibiu and Brașov.",520,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sibiu-brasov-cfr/
sofia-plovdiv-bdz,BDŽ Fast Train Plovdiv,Sofia,Plovdiv,classic,Siemens Desiro EMU,BDŽ,156,130,1 h 30 min,1888,,BG,Bulgaria,"Bulgaria’s busiest intercity corridor, being rebuilt for 200 km/h, tying the capital to Plovdiv, one of Europe’s oldest cities.",518,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sofia-plovdiv-bdz/
sofia-varna-bdz,BDŽ Fast Train Varna,Sofia,Varna,classic,Siemens Desiro EMU,BDŽ,543,130,7 h 30 min,1899,,BG,Bulgaria,"Crosses the Balkan range and the Danubian plain to Varna, Bulgaria’s summer capital on the Black Sea coast.",444,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sofia-varna-bdz/
sofia-burgas-bdz,BDŽ Fast Train Burgas,Sofia,Burgas,classic,Siemens Desiro EMU,BDŽ,458,130,6 h,1890,,BG,Bulgaria,"Runs via Plovdiv and Stara Zagora to Burgas, the port at the heart of Bulgaria’s southern Black Sea beaches.",453,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sofia-burgas-bdz/
septemvri-dobrinishte,Rhodope Narrow-Gauge,Septemvri,Dobrinishte,scenic,760 mm diesel railcar,BDŽ,125,50,5 h,1926,,BG,Bulgaria,"Bulgaria’s last 760 mm line threads 35 tunnels up to Avramovo, the highest railway station in the Balkans at 1,267 m.",278,https://trainrouter.com/routes/septemvri-dobrinishte/
intercity-kyiv-kharkiv,Intercity+,Kyiv,Kharkiv,classic,Škoda EJ675 / Hyundai HRCS2,Ukrainian Railways,480,160,4 h 50 min,2012,,UA,Ukraine,"Ukraine’s flagship Intercity+ express, launched for Euro 2012, races across the steppe from Kyiv to Kharkiv via Poltava.",660,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercity-kyiv-kharkiv/
intercity-kyiv-odesa,Intercity+,Kyiv,Odesa,classic,Škoda EJ675,Ukrainian Railways,585,160,7 h 20 min,2012,,UA,Ukraine,"Runs south from Kyiv through the black-earth farmland via the Znamianka junction to Odesa, the grand imperial port on the Black Sea.",651,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercity-kyiv-odesa/
intercity-kyiv-dnipro,Intercity+,Kyiv,Dnipro,classic,Hyundai HRCS2 / Škoda EJ675,Ukrainian Railways,480,160,5 h 40 min,2012,,UA,Ukraine,"Fast Intercity+ from Kyiv to Dnipro, the rocket-building metropolis on the mighty Dnieper in Ukraine’s industrial east.",661,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercity-kyiv-dnipro/
minsk-brest-bch,Minsk–Brest Business Class,Minsk,Brest,classic,Stadler BKG1 EMU,Belarusian Railway,346,140,3 h 20 min,1871,,BY,Belarus,"Follows the old Moscow–Warsaw corridor to Brest, the fortress city on the Bug where Belarus’s broad gauge meets the EU frontier.",468,https://trainrouter.com/routes/minsk-brest-bch/
minsk-gomel-bch,Minsk–Gomel Regional Express,Minsk,Gomel,classic,ЭПр Stadler EMU,Belarusian Railway,302,120,4 h,1873,,BY,Belarus,"Links the capital with Gomel, Belarus’s second city near the Ukrainian border and the fringe of the Chernobyl zone.",475,https://trainrouter.com/routes/minsk-gomel-bch/
prietenia-chisinau-bucharest,Prietenia,Chișinău,Bucharest,night,CFM/CFR sleeper coaches,CFM · CFR Călători,450,100,13 h,2002,,MD|RO,Moldova|Romania,"Overnight Friendship sleeper whose coaches are jacked up for a bogie swap at Ungheni — Soviet 1,520 mm broad gauge to European standard.",432,https://trainrouter.com/routes/prietenia-chisinau-bucharest/
chisinau-iasi,Chișinău–Iași Cross-Border,Chișinău,Iași,classic,CFM D1M railcar,Calea Ferată din Moldova,130,80,3 h 30 min,2021,,MD|RO,Moldova|Romania,"A symbolic cross-Prut service reopened in 2021, switching from Moldova’s broad gauge to Romania’s standard gauge at the Ungheni frontier.",723,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chisinau-iasi/
zhengzhou-xian-hsr,Zhengzhou–Xi’an HSR,Zhengzhou,Xi’an,high-speed,CR400AF Fuxing,China Railway,523,350,2 h,2010,,CN,China,"One of China’s first mountain bullet lines, boring through the loess hills of the Yellow River valley to link Zhengzhou with the ancient capital Xi’an in about two hours.",579,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zhengzhou-xian-hsr/
datong-xian-hsr,Datong–Xi’an HSR,Datong,Xi’an,high-speed,CRH380A,China Railway,859,250,6 h,2019,,CN,China,"Runs the length of Shanxi from the Datong grottoes past walled Pingyao, crossing the Yellow River into Shaanxi to reach Xi’an.",550,https://trainrouter.com/routes/datong-xian-hsr/
nanning-guangzhou-hsr,Nanning–Guangzhou HSR,Nanning,Guangzhou,high-speed,CRH2A,China Railway,576,250,3 h 30 min,2014,,CN,China,"Follows the Xijiang (West River) valley out of Guangxi down to the Pearl River Delta, linking Nanning with Guangzhou.",571,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nanning-guangzhou-hsr/
zhengzhou-chongqing-hsr,Zhengzhou–Chongqing HSR,Zhengzhou,Chongqing,high-speed,CR400AF Fuxing,China Railway,1068,350,4 h 23 min,2022,,CN,China,"A 1,068 km route threading the Funiu and Daba ranges, cutting Zhengzhou–Chongqing from about eight hours to under four and a half.",547,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zhengzhou-chongqing-hsr/
fuzhou-xiamen-hsr,Fuzhou–Xiamen HSR,Fuzhou,Xiamen,high-speed,CR400AF Fuxing,China Railway,277,350,55 min,2023,,CN,China,"China’s first 350 km/h cross-sea railway, vaulting three bays on the Taiwan Strait coast to link Fuzhou and Xiamen in 55 minutes.",614,https://trainrouter.com/routes/fuzhou-xiamen-hsr/
jinan-qingdao-hsr,Jinan–Qingdao HSR,Jinan,Qingdao,high-speed,CR400AF Fuxing,China Railway,308,350,1 h 40 min,2018,,CN,China,A 350 km/h dash across Shandong from the provincial capital Jinan to the seaside beer city of Qingdao.,608,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jinan-qingdao-hsr/
hefei-fuzhou-hsr,Hefei–Fuzhou HSR,Hefei,Fuzhou,high-speed,CRH380A,China Railway,813,300,4 h,2015,,CN,China,"Nicknamed China’s most beautiful high-speed line, curving past Mount Huangshan and the Wuyi Mountains through Jiangnan tea country.",553,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hefei-fuzhou-hsr/
shijiazhuang-taiyuan-hsr,Shitai HSR,Shijiazhuang,Taiyuan,high-speed,CRH380A,China Railway,190,250,1 h 10 min,2009,,CN,China,"Burrows under the Taihang range through the 27.8 km Taihang Tunnel, once China’s longest railway tunnel, to join Hebei and Shanxi.",623,https://trainrouter.com/routes/shijiazhuang-taiyuan-hsr/
guiyang-nanning-hsr,Guiyang–Nanning HSR,Guiyang,Nanning,high-speed,CR400AF Fuxing,China Railway,482,350,2 h 53 min,2023,,CN,China,"350 km/h through Guizhou–Guangxi karst on a line that is mostly bridge and tunnel, passing the Libo World Heritage limestone scenery.",583,https://trainrouter.com/routes/guiyang-nanning-hsr/
nanning-kunming-hsr,Nanning–Kunming HSR,Nanning,Kunming,high-speed,CRH380A,China Railway,716,250,4 h 30 min,2016,,CN,China,"Crosses the folded uplands and Nanpan River gorges between Guangxi and Yunnan’s capital, Kunming.",557,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nanning-kunming-hsr/
chengdu-guiyang-hsr,Chengdu–Guiyang HSR,Chengdu,Guiyang,high-speed,CRH380D,China Railway,648,250,3 h,2019,,CN,China,"Billed as the first high-speed railway through such deeply folded karst, spanning Jinsha River gorges on some of the world’s highest rail bridges.",565,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chengdu-guiyang-hsr/
yinchuan-xian-hsr,Yinchuan–Xi’an HSR,Yinchuan,Xi’an,high-speed,CR300BF Fuxing,China Railway,618,250,3 h,2020,,CN,China,"The first bullet line to reach Ningxia, climbing the Loess Plateau and Ziwuling forests from Yellow River Yinchuan to Xi’an.",568,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yinchuan-xian-hsr/
zhengzhou-jinan-hsr,Zhengzhou–Jinan HSR,Zhengzhou,Jinan,high-speed,CR400AF Fuxing,China Railway,407,350,1 h 40 min,2023,,CN,China,A fast diagonal across the North China Plain that crosses the Yellow River to knot together two provincial capitals.,596,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zhengzhou-jinan-hsr/
baoji-lanzhou-hsr,Baoji–Lanzhou HSR,Baoji,Lanzhou,high-speed,CRH2G · CR300BF,China Railway,401,250,2 h,2017,,CN,China,"The final link of the east–west corridor to Lanzhou, over 90% bridge and loess tunnel, tracing the old Silk Road past Tianshui.",598,https://trainrouter.com/routes/baoji-lanzhou-hsr/
chengdu-yaan-railway,Chengdu–Ya’an Railway,Chengdu,Ya’an,classic,CRH6A,China Railway,140,200,1 h 12 min,2018,,CN,China,"The first completed stretch of the epic Sichuan–Tibet railway, heading west from Chengdu along the old Tea-Horse Road toward the plateau.",718,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chengdu-yaan-railway/
lhasa-shigatse-railway,Lhasa–Shigatse Railway,Lhasa,Shigatse,scenic,25T plateau coaches,China Railway,253,160,2 h 40 min,2014,,CN,China,"A high-altitude spur off the Qinghai–Tibet line, tunnelling through the mountains to trace the Yarlung Tsangpo canyon to Tibet’s second city.",355,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lhasa-shigatse-railway/
dali-lijiang-railway,Dali–Lijiang Railway,Dali,Lijiang,scenic,SS7C · 25-series coaches,China Railway,165,140,2 h,2009,,CN,China,"Climbs from Dali’s Erhai Lake toward the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the old town of Lijiang, nearly all on bridges and through tunnels.",361,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dali-lijiang-railway/
ulaanbaatar-erdenet,Erdenet Railway,Ulaanbaatar,Erdenet,night,2TE116 · sleeper,Ulaanbaatar Railway,390,80,11 h 25 min,1977,,MN,Mongolia,"Overnight sleeper north from the capital to the Soviet-built copper city of Erdenet, branching off the Trans-Mongolian near Darkhan.",433,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ulaanbaatar-erdenet/
ulaanbaatar-zamyn-uud,Zamyn-Üüd Express,Ulaanbaatar,Zamyn-Üüd,night,2M62 · sleeper,Ulaanbaatar Railway,606,120,14 h,1955,,MN,Mongolia,"The domestic overnight across the Gobi Desert from Ulaanbaatar to the Chinese-border town of Zamyn-Üüd, halting at Choir and Sainshand.",427,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ulaanbaatar-zamyn-uud/
almaty-shymkent,Tulpar-Talgo,Almaty,Shymkent,classic,Tulpar-Talgo,Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ),700,160,11 h,2015,,KZ,Kazakhstan,A Spanish-built Talgo hauled across the Kazakh steppe between Almaty and the southern city of Shymkent via Taraz.,642,https://trainrouter.com/routes/almaty-shymkent/
afrosiyob-tashkent-bukhara,Afrosiyob,Tashkent,Bukhara,high-speed,Talgo 250,Uzbekistan Railways,600,250,3 h 40 min,2016,,UZ,Uzbekistan,"Central Asia’s fastest train, a Talgo 250 racing the Kyzylkum steppe to link Tashkent and Samarkand with Silk Road Bukhara.",569,https://trainrouter.com/routes/afrosiyob-tashkent-bukhara/
tashkent-andijan,Uzbekistan Express,Tashkent,Andijan,classic,electric express,Uzbekistan Railways,420,160,5 h 30 min,2016,,UZ,Uzbekistan,"Electrified line into the crowded Fergana Valley through the 19.2 km Kamchik Tunnel, Central Asia’s longest, ending reliance on transit via Tajikistan.",670,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tashkent-andijan/
ashgabat-turkmenbashy,Trans-Caspian Express,Ashgabat,Turkmenbashi,classic,CKD9A · sleeper,Türkmendemirýollary,580,100,12 h,1885,,TM,Turkmenistan,"The historic Trans-Caspian line along the Karakum Desert’s edge, from Ashgabat to Turkmenistan’s lone Caspian port at Türkmenbaşy.",443,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ashgabat-turkmenbashy/
dushanbe-kulob,Dushanbe–Kulob Express,Dushanbe,Kulob,classic,TE33A · coaches,Tajik Railways,270,80,7 h,2016,,TJ,Tajikistan,"A weekly train made possible only in 2016, when a Chinese-built link finally joined Dushanbe to Tajikistan’s once-isolated southern railway.",702,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dushanbe-kulob/
zhangjiakou-hohhot-hsr,Zhanghu HSR,Zhangjiakou,Hohhot,high-speed,CR400BF Fuxing,China Railway,286,250,1 h 30 min,2019,,CN,China,Sweeps across the Inner Mongolian plateau via Ulanqab; linked to the Beijing–Zhangjiakou line it put Hohhot about two hours from Beijing.,613,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zhangjiakou-hohhot-hsr/
ice-berlin-cologne,ICE,Berlin,Cologne,high-speed,ICE 4 · Class 412,DB Fernverkehr,573,250,4 h 8 min,1998,,DE,Germany,"Races the length of the North German Plain; the dead-straight Hanover–Berlin racetrack, partly laid on old border land, lets ICE 4 sets hold 250 km/h.",572,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-berlin-cologne/
ice-frankfurt-munich,ICE,Frankfurt,Munich,high-speed,ICE 3 · Class 403,DB Fernverkehr,410,300,3 h 15 min,2006,,DE,Germany,"Sprints down the 300 km/h Nuremberg–Ingolstadt high-speed line, one of Germany’s fastest, on gradients so steep that freight trains are banned.",594,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-frankfurt-munich/
ice-hamburg-frankfurt,ICE,Hamburg,Frankfurt,high-speed,ICE 1 · Class 401,DB Fernverkehr,490,280,3 h 34 min,1991,,DE,Germany,"Runs the Hanover–Würzburg route, Germany’s first Neubaustrecke of 1991, boring through a chain of long tunnels beneath the hills of Hesse.",582,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-hamburg-frankfurt/
ice-berlin-frankfurt,ICE,Berlin,Frankfurt,high-speed,ICE 3 Velaro D,DB Fernverkehr,545,280,3 h 56 min,1991,,DE,Germany,"Joins the political and banking capitals via Kassel and the Fulda gap, the Velaro D holding 250 km/h over the wooded ridges of northern Hesse.",576,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-berlin-frankfurt/
ice-stuttgart-munich,ICE,Stuttgart,Munich,high-speed,ICE 3 Velaro D,DB Fernverkehr,241,250,2 h 13 min,2022,,DE,Germany,"Opened in December 2022, the Wendlingen–Ulm line tunnels under the Swabian Jura and cut the Stuttgart–Ulm leg to just 42 minutes.",619,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-stuttgart-munich/
ice-berlin-basel,ICE,Berlin,Basel,high-speed,ICE 1 · Class 401,DB Fernverkehr,843,280,7 h 7 min,1991,,DE|CH,Germany|Switzerland,"Crosses Germany from end to end, Berlin to the Swiss border, finishing down the Upper Rhine past Freiburg to Basel in about seven hours.",552,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-berlin-basel/
ice-berlin-amsterdam,ICE International,Berlin,Amsterdam,high-speed,ICE 3neo · Class 408,DB / NS,660,250,5 h 42 min,2000,,DE|NL,Germany|Netherlands,"Upgraded to new ICE 3neo trains in late 2025, replacing loco-hauled Intercitys on the roughly six-hour cross-border run to the Dutch capital.",562,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-berlin-amsterdam/
ice-amsterdam-frankfurt,ICE International,Amsterdam,Frankfurt,high-speed,ICE 3M · Class 406,DB / NS,440,300,3 h 56 min,2000,,NL|DE,Netherlands|Germany,"ICE 3M multi-system sets leave Amsterdam and, past Cologne, dive onto the 300 km/h Cologne–Rhine/Main line with its motorway-style gradients.",590,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ice-amsterdam-frankfurt/
moselle-koblenz-trier,Moselstrecke,Koblenz,Trier,scenic,RE 1 · IC,DB Regio Südwest,113,160,1 h 30 min,1879,,DE,Germany,"Follows the wine-terraced Moselle past Cochem, crossing the river on the historic two-tier Alf–Bullay bridge below Germany’s steepest vineyards.",281,https://trainrouter.com/routes/moselle-koblenz-trier/
rubelandbahn,Rübelandbahn,Blankenburg,Rübeland,scenic,Steam · 95 027,ArGe Rübelandbahn,14,50,50 min,1886,,DE,Germany,"Heritage steam storms a fierce Harz grade once worked by rack rail; the 1926 tank engine 95 027, the Bergkönigin, still climbs to the caves at Rübeland.",199,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rubelandbahn/
molli-bad-doberan,Molli,Bad Doberan,Kühlungsborn,scenic,Steam · 900 mm,Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn Molli,15,45,40 min,1886,,DE,Germany,"A rare 900 mm-gauge steam line running since 1886, Molli puffs right down the middle of Bad Doberan’s tree-lined avenue on its way to the Baltic shore.",197,https://trainrouter.com/routes/molli-bad-doberan/
rasender-roland,Rasender Roland,Putbus,Göhren,scenic,Steam · 750 mm,Rügensche BäderBahn,24,30,1 h 6 min,1895,,DE,Germany,"Nicknamed the Racing Roland, this 750 mm-gauge steam railway has linked Rügen’s white-sand Baltic resorts of Binz, Sellin and Göhren since 1895.",185,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rasender-roland/
zittau-narrow-gauge,Zittauer Schmalspurbahn,Zittau,Oybin,scenic,Steam · 750 mm,SOEG,12,40,45 min,1890,,DE,Germany,"750 mm-gauge steam climbs from Zittau to the sandstone crags of the Zittau Mountains, serving the pilgrimage village of Oybin since 1890.",202,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zittau-narrow-gauge/
intercity-amsterdam-groningen,Intercity,Amsterdam,Groningen,classic,"ICM ""Koploper""",NS,205,160,2 h 11 min,1870,,NL,Netherlands,The northbound Intercity crosses the reclaimed polders and the low Hondsrug ridge to reach Groningen from Amsterdam in a little over two hours.,501,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercity-amsterdam-groningen/
intercity-amsterdam-maastricht,Intercity,Amsterdam,Maastricht,classic,"DD-IRM ""VIRM""",NS,213,160,2 h 23 min,1865,,NL,Netherlands,"Double-deck VIRM Intercitys run almost the whole length of the country to Maastricht, the old Dutch city on the Meuse near the Belgian border.",497,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercity-amsterdam-maastricht/
intercity-direct-amsterdam-breda,Intercity Direct,Amsterdam,Breda,classic,ICNG · Class 3100,NS,123,200,1 h 8 min,2009,,NL,Netherlands,"New ICNG trains take the HSL-Zuid high-speed line, hitting 200 km/h as they link Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Breda without a change.",724,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercity-direct-amsterdam-breda/
miljoenenlijn,Miljoenenlijn,Schin op Geul,Kerkrade,scenic,Steam · ZLSM,ZLSM,17,40,1 h,1934,,NL,Netherlands,"Nicknamed the Million Line for its ruinously costly cuttings and viaducts, this steam railway climbs the only real hills in the Netherlands, in South Limburg.",195,https://trainrouter.com/routes/miljoenenlijn/
ic-brussels-ostend,Intercity,Brussels,Ostend,classic,M6 · HLE 27,SNCB,123,160,1 h 12 min,1838,,BE,Belgium,"One of Belgium’s original 1838 trunk lines, running dead-flat across Flanders through Ghent and Bruges to the North Sea ferry port of Ostend.",525,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ic-brussels-ostend/
ic-brussels-liege,Intercity,Brussels,Liège,classic,M6 double-deck,SNCB,95,160,1 h,1842,,BE,Belgium,"Terminates beneath Santiago Calatrava’s soaring white vault of steel and glass at Liège-Guillemins, one of Europe’s boldest modern stations.",530,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ic-brussels-liege/
ic-brussels-luxembourg,Intercity,Brussels,Luxembourg,classic,I11 · HLE 18,SNCB / CFL,219,160,3 h 5 min,1858,,BE|LU,Belgium|Luxembourg,Climbs from Brussels through the forested Ardennes via Namur and Arlon; planned upgrades aim to cut the three-hour run to Luxembourg below two hours by 2030.,494,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ic-brussels-luxembourg/
ic-antwerp-brussels,Intercity,Antwerp,Brussels,classic,M6 double-deck,SNCB,45,160,35 min,1836,,BE,Belgium,Traces the route of continental Europe’s first passenger railway of 1835 and ends under the vast domed railway cathedral of Antwerpen-Centraal.,534,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ic-antwerp-brussels/
kusttram,Kusttram,De Panne,Knokke,scenic,Coast tram,De Lijn,67,70,2 h 20 min,1885,,BE,Belgium,"The world’s longest tram line: 67 km of metre-gauge track hugging the entire Belgian coast from De Panne to Knokke, calling at 68 stops.",293,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kusttram/
cfl-luxembourg-liege,Intercity,Luxembourg,Liège,scenic,CFL · SNCB EMU,CFL / SNCB,156,160,2 h 39 min,1867,,LU|BE,Luxembourg|Belgium,"A cross-border Intercity threading the wooded Éislek and the Ourthe and Amblève valleys, one of the prettiest rail rides in the Ardennes.",269,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cfl-luxembourg-liege/
cfl-luxembourg-koblenz,RE 11 Mosel,Luxembourg,Koblenz,classic,SÜWEX · CFL,CFL / DB Regio,159,160,2 h 18 min,1879,,LU|DE,Luxembourg|Germany,"The RE 11 follows the Moselle from Luxembourg into Germany, boring through the 4.2 km Kaiser-Wilhelm-Tunnel at Cochem to bypass the river’s huge loop.",516,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cfl-luxembourg-koblenz/
cfl-luxembourg-longwy,TER,Luxembourg,Longwy,classic,CFL Class 2200,CFL / SNCF,28,140,37 min,1880,,LU|FR,Luxembourg|France,"A short cross-border hop from Luxembourg’s Ville-Haute down to the old French steel town of Longwy, one of the busiest daily commuter runs into the Grand Duchy.",536,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cfl-luxembourg-longwy/
marschbahn-hamburg-sylt,Marschbahn,Hamburg,Westerland,classic,IC · BR 245,DB,235,140,2 h 55 min,1927,,DE,Germany,"Reaches the car-free island of Sylt over the 11 km Hindenburgdamm causeway of 1927, a dead-straight embankment laid across the tidal Wadden Sea.",487,https://trainrouter.com/routes/marschbahn-hamburg-sylt/
tgv-paris-lyon,TGV inOui,Paris,Lyon,high-speed,TGV Duplex,SNCF,427,300,1 h 57 min,1981,,FR,France,"France’s first high-speed line, opened in 1981 — the Paris–Lyon route that launched the whole TGV era, now run in under two hours.",73,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-lyon/
tgv-paris-rennes,TGV inOui,Paris,Rennes,high-speed,TGV Atlantique,SNCF,350,320,1 h 25 min,1989,,FR,France,"The 2017 Bretagne–Pays de la Loire high-speed line cut Paris–Rennes to 1 h 25 min, sending TGVs racing across Brittany at 320 km/h.",605,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-rennes/
tgv-paris-nantes,TGV inOui,Paris,Nantes,high-speed,TGV 2N2 Euroduplex,SNCF,385,300,1 h 59 min,1989,,FR,France,"TGV Atlantique sweeps from Paris to the Loire estuary city of Nantes in about two hours, topping 300 km/h across the plains of the west.",601,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-nantes/
tgv-lyria-paris-geneva,TGV Lyria,Paris,Geneva,high-speed,Euroduplex (TGV 2N2),Lyria,410,320,3 h 8 min,1981,,FR|CH,France|Switzerland,A Lyria Euroduplex glides from Paris into Switzerland at Genève-Cornavin; the 2010 Haut-Bugey line trimmed the run to about three hours.,595,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-lyria-paris-geneva/
ouigo-paris-lyon,Ouigo,Paris,Lyon,high-speed,TGV Duplex,SNCF,427,300,1 h 57 min,2013,,FR,France,"SNCF’s low-cost double-decker TGV, launched in 2013 with fares from €10, races Paris to Lyon at up to 300 km/h.",592,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ouigo-paris-lyon/
tgv-paris-nice,TGV inOui,Paris,Nice,high-speed,TGV Duplex,SNCF,1088,300,5 h 42 min,2001,,FR,France,"France’s longest domestic TGV run — 300 km/h to Marseille, then the classic Riviera coast line hugging the Mediterranean to Nice.",545,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-nice/
tgv-paris-lille,TGV inOui,Paris,Lille,high-speed,TGV Réseau,SNCF,225,300,1 h 2 min,1993,,FR,France,"The dead-straight LGV Nord links Paris to Lille in just 62 minutes at 300 km/h, France’s fastest big-city hop.",621,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-lille/
intercites-paris-clermont,Intercités,Paris,Clermont-Ferrand,classic,BB 26000 + Corail,SNCF,420,200,3 h 25 min,1855,,FR,France,The Bourbonnais line to the Auvergne volcanoes; new Oxygène trainsets arrive from 2026 to retire its veteran Corail carriages.,460,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercites-paris-clermont/
intercites-paris-toulouse,Intercités,Paris,Toulouse,classic,BB 26000 + Corail,SNCF,713,200,6 h 20 min,1856,,FR,France,The cross-country POLT line — Paris-Orléans-Limoges-Toulouse — threads 713 km through the Massif Central on France’s classic north–south artery.,440,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercites-paris-toulouse/
train-des-pignes,Train des Pignes,Nice,Digne-les-Bains,scenic,Autorail AMP 800,Chemins de fer de Provence,151,70,3 h 20 min,1911,,FR,France,"Metre-gauge “pine-cone train” climbing 151 km from Nice to Digne over some 25 tunnels and 16 viaducts, inaugurated in 1911.",274,https://trainrouter.com/routes/train-des-pignes/
train-des-merveilles,Train des Merveilles,Nice,Tende,scenic,X 76500 AGC,SNCF (TER Sud PACA),89,90,2 h,1928,,FR,France,"Spirals up the wild Roya valley past the Bronze-Age rock carvings of the Vallée des Merveilles, looping through helicoidal tunnels to Tende at 1,040 m.",289,https://trainrouter.com/routes/train-des-merveilles/
mont-blanc-express,Mont-Blanc Express,Saint-Gervais,Martigny,scenic,Z 800,SNCF / TMR,55,70,1 h 50 min,1908,,FR|CH,France|Switzerland,"A metre-gauge mountain line beneath Mont Blanc, using third-rail power and a rack section to climb the Chamonix valley from Saint-Gervais into Switzerland.",131,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mont-blanc-express/
corsica-trinighellu,Chemins de fer de la Corse,Ajaccio,Bastia,scenic,AMG 800,CFC,158,100,3 h 45 min,1894,,FR,France,"Corsica’s beloved “U Trinichellu” crosses the island’s granite spine, piercing the 3.9 km Vizzavona tunnel at 906 m altitude.",266,https://trainrouter.com/routes/corsica-trinighellu/
ave-madrid-alicante,AVE,Madrid,Alicante,high-speed,"S-112 ""Pato""",Renfe,455,300,2 h 12 min,2013,,ES,Spain,"Branches off the Madrid–Levante high-speed line to reach the Costa Blanca, opened in 2013 and worked by S-112 “Pato” trainsets.",586,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-alicante/
ave-madrid-zaragoza,AVE,Madrid,Zaragoza,high-speed,S-103 Velaro,Renfe,307,310,1 h 15 min,2003,,ES,Spain,"The first stretch of Spain’s Madrid–Barcelona line (2003), crossing the Guadalajara plateau and Ebro valley to Zaragoza in 75 minutes.",609,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-zaragoza/
ave-madrid-ourense,AVE,Madrid,Ourense,high-speed,S-106 Avril · S-730 Alvia,Renfe,496,300,2 h 15 min,2021,,ES,Spain,Leaps into Galicia through 30 tunnels — including the 8.6 km O Corno tunnel — on the mountain-defying line opened in December 2021.,581,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-ourense/
ave-madrid-granada,AVE,Madrid,Granada,high-speed,"S-112 ""Pato""",Renfe,568,300,3 h 5 min,2019,,ES,Spain,"Opened in 2019, it branches off the Córdoba–Málaga line at Antequera to lift the AVE network into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.",575,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-granada/
avlo-madrid-barcelona,Avlo,Madrid,Barcelona,high-speed,S-106 Avril,Renfe,621,330,2 h 30 min,2021,,ES,Spain,"Renfe’s low-cost AVE, launched June 2021 with fares from €7, blitzes Madrid–Barcelona at 330 km/h aboard Avril trainsets.",567,https://trainrouter.com/routes/avlo-madrid-barcelona/
ave-barcelona-malaga,AVE,Barcelona,Málaga,high-speed,"S-112 ""Pato""",Renfe,770,310,5 h 52 min,2013,,ES,Spain,"A single high-speed run tying the Mediterranean to the Costa del Sol, skirting Madrid to stitch two AVE corridors together.",554,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-barcelona-malaga/
transcantabrico,El Transcantábrico,San Sebastián,Santiago de Compostela,scenic,Metre-gauge saloon cars,Renfe,1000,60,8 days,1983,,ES,Spain,"Spain’s first hotel-train (1983): an eight-day, metre-gauge cruise along the green Cantabrian coast from the Basque Country to Galicia.",82,https://trainrouter.com/routes/transcantabrico/
tren-dels-llacs,Tren dels Llacs,Lleida,La Pobla de Segur,scenic,Vintage “yeyé” railcar + coaches,FGC,89,90,2 h 30 min,2006,,ES,Spain,A heritage “train of the lakes” climbing beside the Noguera Pallaresa past reservoirs and tunnels to the Pyrenean foothills.,228,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-dels-llacs/
expreso-la-robla,El Expreso de La Robla,Bilbao,León,scenic,FEVE narrow-gauge saloons,Renfe,335,60,3 days,2003,,ES,Spain,"Retraces the historic La Robla coal railway, Spain’s longest narrow-gauge line, on a three-day luxury run between Bilbao and León.",352,https://trainrouter.com/routes/expreso-la-robla/
alfa-pendular-lisbon-faro,Alfa Pendular,Lisbon,Faro,classic,CP 4000 Pendolino,CP,278,220,2 h 52 min,2004,,PT,Portugal,"Portugal’s tilting Pendolino leans into the curves at up to 220 km/h, sweeping down the Alentejo to the Algarve at Faro.",700,https://trainrouter.com/routes/alfa-pendular-lisbon-faro/
intercidades-lisbon-guarda,Intercidades,Lisbon,Guarda,classic,CP 5600 + Corail,CP,353,160,4 h 11 min,1882,,PT,Portugal,"Climbs the Beira Alta line to Guarda, Portugal’s highest city at 1,056 m, on the historic Sud Express path toward the Spanish border.",467,https://trainrouter.com/routes/intercidades-lisbon-guarda/
presidential-train-douro,Presidential Train,Porto,Pocinho,scenic,Historic 1890 saloons,CP,175,60,1 day,2016,,PT,Portugal,"Royal-blue saloon carriages built from 1890, which once carried heads of state, now a fine-dining train up the terraced Douro wine valley.",227,https://trainrouter.com/routes/presidential-train-douro/
linha-do-minho,Linha do Minho,Porto,Valença,classic,CP Regional,CP,135,120,2 h 30 min,1882,,PT,Portugal,"Hugs the Atlantic then the Minho river to the star-fort town of Valença, staring across the water at Spain’s Tui.",522,https://trainrouter.com/routes/linha-do-minho/
linha-do-oeste,Linha do Oeste,Lisbon,Figueira da Foz,classic,CP Regional,CP,203,100,4 h,1890,,PT,Portugal,"A slow, winding single-track line through the vineyards and spa towns of Estremadura — Torres Vedras, Caldas da Rainha — to the Atlantic at Figueira da Foz.",502,https://trainrouter.com/routes/linha-do-oeste/
frecciarossa-turin-milan,Frecciarossa,Turin,Milan,high-speed,ETR 1000,Trenitalia,150,300,1 h,2009,,IT,Italy,A Frecciarossa 1000 hit 393.8 km/h on this Turin–Milan high-speed line in a 2016 test — an Italian rail speed record.,627,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-turin-milan/
frecciarossa-milan-naples,Frecciarossa,Milan,Naples,high-speed,ETR 1000,Trenitalia,770,300,4 h 10 min,2009,,IT,Italy,The 300 km/h spine of Italy — Milan–Bologna–Florence–Rome–Naples runs almost entirely on dedicated high-speed track finished in 2009.,555,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-milan-naples/
frecciarossa-rome-bari,Frecciarossa,Rome,Bari,high-speed,ETR 1000,Trenitalia,450,250,4 h,2012,,IT,Italy,"South of Caserta the Freccia climbs through the Apennines to Foggia, then races across the Tavoliere plain to the Adriatic port of Bari.",587,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-rome-bari/
frecciargento-rome-reggio-calabria,Frecciargento,Rome,Reggio Calabria,high-speed,ETR 485,Trenitalia,671,250,5 h,2020,,IT,Italy,"One of Italy’s longest Freccia runs — some 671 km down the Tyrrhenian coast, the tilting ETR 485 leaning through curves toward the Strait of Messina.",559,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciargento-rome-reggio-calabria/
italo-milan-rome,Italo,Milan,Rome,high-speed,AGV 575,Italo · NTV,570,300,2 h 59 min,2012,,IT,Italy,Italo was Europe’s first private open-access high-speed operator; its Alstom AGV 575 links Milan and Rome in under three hours.,574,https://trainrouter.com/routes/italo-milan-rome/
frecciarossa-milan-trieste,Frecciarossa,Milan,Trieste,high-speed,ETR 600,Trenitalia,358,250,4 h 8 min,2023,,IT,Italy,"A tilting ETR 600 Frecciarossa crosses the Po plain and Veneto from Milan to Trieste on the Adriatic, a run it took over in June 2023.",602,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-milan-trieste/
circumetnea-catania-etna,Ferrovia Circumetnea,Catania,Riposto,scenic,Vulcano DMU,Ferrovia Circumetnea,110,70,3 h 30 min,1895,,IT,Italy,"A 950 mm narrow-gauge line almost encircling Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, threading black lava fields around Bronte and Randazzo.",282,https://trainrouter.com/routes/circumetnea-catania-etna/
trenino-verde-sardinia,Trenino Verde,Mandas,Arbatax,scenic,ADe railcar,ARST,159,50,5 h,1893,,IT,Italy,"At 159 km the longest tourist railway in Italy, this narrow-gauge line climbs to 868 m through the wild Ogliastra mountains to the sea at Arbatax.",265,https://trainrouter.com/routes/trenino-verde-sardinia/
rittner-bahn-renon,Rittner Bahn,Soprabolzano,Collalbo,scenic,Esslingen tramcar,SAD,7,30,18 min,1907,,IT,Italy,"A metre-gauge survivor of a 1907 rack railway, its vintage tramcars glide across the sunny Renon plateau beneath the Dolomites above Bolzano.",320,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rittner-bahn-renon/
circumvesuviana-naples-sorrento,Circumvesuviana,Naples,Sorrento,scenic,ETR 211 Metrostar,EAV,42,80,1 h 10 min,1948,,IT,Italy,"The narrow-gauge line to Sorrento, opened in 1948, carries travellers past the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum under the shadow of Vesuvius.",101,https://trainrouter.com/routes/circumvesuviana-naples-sorrento/
pelion-railway-milies,Pelion Railway,Ano Lechonia,Milies,scenic,Heritage diesel train,Hellenic Train,15,20,1 h 30 min,1903,,GR,Greece,Evaristo de Chirico’s 600 mm mountain railway on Mt Pelion curls over his iron-and-stone bridge near Milies through olive and apple groves.,311,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pelion-railway-milies/
proastiakos-athens-kiato,Proastiakos,Piraeus,Kiato,classic,Siemens Desiro (460),Hellenic Train,121,160,1 h 30 min,2010,,GR,Greece,Athens’s fast electric suburban line hugs the Saronic Gulf and crosses the Corinth Canal on its run from the port of Piraeus out to Kiato.,725,https://trainrouter.com/routes/proastiakos-athens-kiato/
zagreb-rijeka,Zagreb–Rijeka line,Zagreb,Rijeka,classic,Končar 6112 EMU,HŽ Putnički prijevoz,229,140,3 h 30 min,1873,,HR,Croatia,"Climbs through the forested Gorski Kotar highlands, threading tunnels and curves before the steep final plunge to the Adriatic at Rijeka.",491,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zagreb-rijeka/
zagreb-osijek,Zagreb–Osijek line,Zagreb,Osijek,classic,Končar 7023 DMU,HŽ Putnički prijevoz,250,120,4 h 55 min,1895,,HR,Croatia,"Runs east across the flat Pannonian farmland of Slavonia to Osijek, Croatia’s fourth-largest city, on the Drava near the Hungarian border.",485,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zagreb-osijek/
ljubljana-koper,Ljubljana–Koper line,Ljubljana,Koper,classic,Siemens Desiro (312),Slovenske železnice,152,120,2 h 20 min,1967,,SI,Slovenia,"Drops nearly 500 m off the Karst plateau to the sea, twisting through tunnels and curves on the descent to Slovenia’s only seaport, Koper.",717,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ljubljana-koper/
podgorica-niksic,Podgorica–Nikšić line,Podgorica,Nikšić,classic,CAF Civity EMU,Željeznički prevoz Crne Gore,56,100,50 min,1948,,ME,Montenegro,"Reopened to passengers after electrification in 2012, the line threads 12 tunnels and 9 bridges below the cliffs of Ostrog Monastery.",738,https://trainrouter.com/routes/podgorica-niksic/
sarajevo-mostar,Sarajevo–Mostar line,Sarajevo,Mostar,scenic,Talgo trainset,Železnice FBiH,129,70,2 h,1966,,BA,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Threads the plunging Neretva canyon between the Prenj and Čvrsnica massifs — the line onward to the Adriatic bores through 106 tunnels.,368,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sarajevo-mostar/
skopje-bitola,Skopje–Bitola line,Skopje,Bitola,classic,CRRC DMU,MŽ Transport,229,100,3 h 45 min,1936,,MK,North Macedonia,Climbs from the Vardar at Veles over the Babuna mountains on the looping Bogomila grade before dropping onto the Pelagonia plain to Bitola.,490,https://trainrouter.com/routes/skopje-bitola/
skopje-gevgelija,Skopje–Gevgelija line,Skopje,Gevgelija,classic,CRRC EMU,MŽ Transport,173,120,3 h 15 min,1873,,MK,North Macedonia,Follows the Vardar south and threads the dramatic Demir Kapija — the “Iron Gate” gorge — on Corridor X’s run toward Greece.,510,https://trainrouter.com/routes/skopje-gevgelija/
pristina-peja,Pristina–Peja line,Pristina,Peja,classic,NOHAB Di 3 + coaches,Trainkos,80,80,2 h,1936,,XK,Kosovo,Kosovo’s sole surviving passenger service — two little diesel trains a day amble west via Klina to Peja beneath the Accursed Mountains.,532,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pristina-peja/
frecciarossa-rome-venice,Frecciarossa,Rome,Venice,high-speed,ETR 1000,Trenitalia,528,300,3 h 45 min,2009,,IT,Italy,Frecciarossa 1000 sets sweep from Rome across the Apennines and the Po plain via Florence and Bologna to reach Venice in under four hours.,578,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-rome-venice/
transiberiana-ditalia,Transiberiana d’Italia,Sulmona,Castel di Sangro,scenic,Heritage ALn 668,Fondazione FS,77,70,2 h 45 min,1897,,IT,Italy,"Italy’s “Trans-Siberian” — a heritage train over snowbound Apennine plateaus to Rivisondoli-Pescocostanzo at 1,268 m, among Italy’s highest stations.",100,https://trainrouter.com/routes/transiberiana-ditalia/
cuneo-ventimiglia-railway,Ferrovia delle Meraviglie,Cuneo,Ventimiglia,scenic,Alstom Minuetto,Trenitalia · SNCF,96,80,2 h 40 min,1928,,IT|FR,Italy|France,"The “Railway of Wonders” spirals up the Alps through helical tunnels and viaducts into France; wrecked in WWII, it reopened only in 1979.",285,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cuneo-ventimiglia-railway/
vinschgau-railway,Vinschgau Railway,Merano,Malles,scenic,Coradia Stream EMU,STA · suedtirolmobil,60,100,1 h 10 min,1906,,IT,Italy,"Closed to passengers in 1990, this South Tyrol branch reopened in 2005 as a rural-rail success story and went fully electric in 2026.",294,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vinschgau-railway/
frecciargento-rome-lecce,Frecciargento,Rome,Lecce,high-speed,ETR 485,Trenitalia,630,250,5 h 30 min,2009,,IT,Italy,"A tilting ETR 485 threads Rome to the heel of Italy’s boot via Foggia, Bari and Brindisi, reaching baroque Lecce in the Salento.",566,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciargento-rome-lecce/
ljubljana-maribor,InterCity Slovenija,Ljubljana,Maribor,classic,SŽ 310 Pendolino,Slovenske železnice,156,160,1 h 52 min,1849,,SI,Slovenia,"SŽ’s tilting Pendolino links Slovenia’s two largest cities along the 1840s Austrian Southern Railway, weaving down the Sava and Savinja valleys.",519,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ljubljana-maribor/
narita-express,Narita Express,Tokyo,Narita Airport,classic,E259 series,JR East,79,130,53 min,1991,,JP,Japan,"Twin sets from Yokohama and Shinjuku couple at Tokyo Station, then run as one red-and-black E259 through the Sobu tunnels out to Narita Airport.",731,https://trainrouter.com/routes/narita-express/
thunderbird-osaka-tsuruga,Thunderbird,Osaka,Tsuruga,classic,683 series,JR West,138,130,1 h 20 min,1995,,JP,Japan,"Since the 2024 bullet-train extension it sprints from Osaka up the wild western shore of Lake Biwa to Tsuruga, Hokuriku’s new shinkansen gateway.",719,https://trainrouter.com/routes/thunderbird-osaka-tsuruga/
haruka-kyoto-kansai-airport,Haruka,Kyoto,Kansai Airport,classic,281 · 271 series,JR West,99,130,1 h 20 min,1994,,JP,Japan,"Kansai Airport’s purple-and-white express, threading 99 km from Kyoto’s temples out across the bay to the man-made island runway.",727,https://trainrouter.com/routes/haruka-kyoto-kansai-airport/
kaiji-shinjuku-kofu,Kaiji,Shinjuku,Kofu,classic,E353 series,JR East,134,130,1 h 30 min,1988,,JP,Japan,Chuo Line express using the E353’s active tilt to swing through the mountain-walled Katsura valleys up to the vineyard capital of Kofu.,722,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kaiji-shinjuku-kofu/
hokuto-sapporo-hakodate,Hokuto,Sapporo,Hakodate,classic,KiHa 261-1000,JR Hokkaido,319,120,3 h 40 min,1994,,JP,Japan,"Diesel tilting express curving 319 km around Uchiura Bay beneath the volcanoes Usu and Komagatake, linking Sapporo with old Hakodate.",690,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hokuto-sapporo-hakodate/
ozora-sapporo-kushiro,Ozora,Sapporo,Kushiro,classic,KiHa 283 · 261,JR Hokkaido,349,120,4 h 5 min,1997,,JP,Japan,Crosses Hokkaido’s wild interior — the Hidaka range and the Sekisho tunnels — to the crane marshes of Kushiro on the far Pacific coast.,679,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ozora-sapporo-kushiro/
enoden-kamakura-fujisawa,Enoden,Kamakura,Fujisawa,scenic,300 / 500 series,Enoshima Electric Railway,10,45,34 min,1902,,JP,Japan,Century-old seaside interurban that skims Shonan’s surf beaches and threads between house walls; its Kamakurakokomae crossing is an anime shrine.,316,https://trainrouter.com/routes/enoden-kamakura-fujisawa/
oigawa-sl-kawane,Oigawa SL Kawane-ji,Shin-Kanaya,Kawane-Onsen,scenic,C11 · C10 steam,Oigawa Railway,31,45,1 h,1976,,JP,Japan,Vintage C11 steam locomotives haul old coaches up the Oi River valley — the same railway that runs Japan’s Thomas the Tank Engine trains.,232,https://trainrouter.com/routes/oigawa-sl-kawane/
isumi-railway,Isumi Railway,Ohara,Kazusa-Nakano,scenic,KiHa 52 · 28,Isumi Railway,27,65,50 min,1988,,JP,Japan,Restored 1960s diesel railcars trundle past rice paddies and spring nanohana blossoms through the rural heart of the Boso Peninsula.,380,https://trainrouter.com/routes/isumi-railway/
kintetsu-shimakaze-osaka-ise,Shimakaze,Osaka,Kashikojima,scenic,Kintetsu 50000 series,Kintetsu Railway,137,130,2 h 20 min,2013,,JP,Japan,"Kintetsu’s luxury Shimakaze — double-decker observation cars, leather saloons and a café — glides to the pearl bays and shrines of Ise-Shima.",365,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kintetsu-shimakaze-osaka-ise/
seibu-laview-chichibu,Laview,Tokyo,Chichibu,classic,Seibu 001 series,Seibu Railway,77,105,1 h 20 min,2019,,JP,Japan,"Seibu’s radical Laview, with a huge curved windscreen and yellow living-room windows, climbs from Ikebukuro into the Chichibu mountains.",732,https://trainrouter.com/routes/seibu-laview-chichibu/
fujisan-view-express,Fujisan View Express,Otsuki,Kawaguchiko,scenic,8500 series,Fuji Kyuko,27,60,50 min,2016,,JP,Japan,"Steep little Fujikyu line to Lake Kawaguchi, its wide panorama windows framing Mt Fuji rising straight ahead.",379,https://trainrouter.com/routes/fujisan-view-express/
saphir-odoriko-izu,Saphir Odoriko,Tokyo,Shimoda,scenic,E261 series,JR East,168,120,2 h 40 min,2020,,JP,Japan,"All-Green-Car sapphire E261 with a glass-roofed lounge, curving along the Izu Peninsula’s cliffs and coves from Tokyo to Shimoda.",360,https://trainrouter.com/routes/saphir-odoriko-izu/
yakumo-okayama-izumo,Yakumo,Okayama,Izumo,classic,273 series,JR West,221,120,3 h,1972,,JP,Japan,"JR West’s new 2024 tilting 273 series threads the Hakubi line’s passes to Izumo, home of Japan’s oldest grand shrine.",708,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yakumo-okayama-izumo/
ibusuki-no-tamatebako,Ibusuki no Tamatebako,Kagoshima,Ibusuki,scenic,KiHa 47,JR Kyushu,46,85,55 min,2011,,JP,Japan,"Split black-and-white treasure box train that puffs a cloud of mist from its doors, hugging Kinko Bay to the hot-sand baths of Ibusuki.",375,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ibusuki-no-tamatebako/
aso-boy-kumamoto-miyaji,Aso Boy!,Kumamoto,Miyaji,scenic,KiHa 183-1000,JR Kyushu,53,95,1 h 30 min,2011,,JP,Japan,"Family sightseeing express with a panorama cab and play areas, zig-zagging the Tateno switchback into the vast Mt Aso caldera.",374,https://trainrouter.com/routes/aso-boy-kumamoto-miyaji/
watarase-keikoku-railway,Watarase Keikoku Railway,Kiryu,Manba,scenic,WKT-500 · torokko,Watarase Keikoku Railway,44,65,1 h 30 min,1989,,JP,Japan,"Open-sided torokko trolleys wind up the Watarase gorge on the old Ashio copper-mine line, ablaze with wisteria and autumn maple.",376,https://trainrouter.com/routes/watarase-keikoku-railway/
itx-saemaeul-seoul-busan,ITX-Saemaeul,Seoul,Busan,classic,Class 210000,Korail,442,150,4 h 50 min,2014,,KR,South Korea,"Tilting-comfort intercity that succeeded the storied Saemaul-ho, still running the full 442 km Gyeongbu spine from Seoul to Busan.",668,https://trainrouter.com/routes/itx-saemaeul-seoul-busan/
itx-cheongchun-seoul-chuncheon,ITX-Cheongchun,Seoul,Chuncheon,classic,Class 371,Korail,88,180,1 h 12 min,2012,,KR,South Korea,"Double-deck 180 km/h EMU on the Youth Line, racing up the Bukhan River to the lake city of Chuncheon, home of dak-galbi.",730,https://trainrouter.com/routes/itx-cheongchun-seoul-chuncheon/
mugunghwa-seoul-busan,Mugunghwa-ho,Seoul,Busan,classic,Class 8200 + coaches,Korail,442,150,5 h 20 min,1984,,KR,South Korea,Korea’s beloved everyman Rose of Sharon train — cheap reserved seats and rattling coaches taking the slow road from Seoul to Busan.,669,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mugunghwa-seoul-busan/
ktx-eum-cheongnyangni-andong,KTX-Eum,Seoul,Andong,high-speed,EMU-260,Korail,268,260,2 h 3 min,2021,,KR,South Korea,"Home-grown EMU-260 bullet train on the rebuilt 250 km/h Jungang line, cutting Seoul to the Confucian old town of Andong to about two hours.",615,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ktx-eum-cheongnyangni-andong/
dmz-peace-train,DMZ Peace Train,Seoul,Dorasan,scenic,DMZ-train railcar,Korail,56,120,1 h,2014,,KR,South Korea,"Tourist train relaunched in 2026, running to Dorasan — the last station on the line before North Korea, at the fenced edge of the DMZ.",373,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dmz-peace-train/
tze-chiang-taipei-taitung,Tze-Chiang Limited Express,Taipei,Taitung,classic,EMU3000,Taiwan Railway,321,140,3 h 30 min,2021,,TW,Taiwan,"Taiwan’s flagship Teng-Yun EMU3000, with a business-class car, curving down the wild Pacific east coast from Taipei to Taitung.",689,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tze-chiang-taipei-taitung/
taroko-express-taipei-hualien,Taroko Express,Taipei,Hualien,classic,TEMU1000,Taiwan Railway,170,130,2 h,2007,,TW,Taiwan,Japanese-built TEMU1000 tilting train carving through the Yilan cliffs and tunnels from Taipei to the marble gorge country of Hualien.,714,https://trainrouter.com/routes/taroko-express-taipei-hualien/
neiwan-line,Neiwan Line,Hsinchu,Neiwan,scenic,DR1000 railcar,Taiwan Railway,28,90,1 h,1951,,TW,Taiwan,"Hakka-country branch line climbing from Hsinchu into the hills to the old timber and coal town of Neiwan, revived as a heritage day-trip.",378,https://trainrouter.com/routes/neiwan-line/
jiji-line,Jiji Line,Ershui,Jiji,scenic,DR1000 railcar,Taiwan Railway,15,90,30 min,1922,,TW,Taiwan,"Taiwan’s cherished 1922 branch line through betel-palm country and a camphor-tree green tunnel, reopened in 2026 after a landslide closure.",310,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jiji-line/
shenao-line,Shen’ao Line,Ruifang,Badouzi,scenic,DR1000 railcar,Taiwan Railway,5,60,15 min,2014,,TW,Taiwan,"Short coastal branch to Badouzi, the Taiwan station nearest the sea, where rainbow-painted railcars run beside the wave-cut Shen’ao arch.",383,https://trainrouter.com/routes/shenao-line/
raja-tehran-tabriz,Raja Tehran–Tabriz,Tehran,Tabriz,night,Raja sleeper coaches,Raja · Iranian Railways (RAI),736,160,12 h,1958,,IR,Iran,"Iranian leg of the Tehran–Istanbul Trans-Asia Express, whose onward run once floated the whole train across Turkey’s Lake Van on a rail ferry.",423,https://trainrouter.com/routes/raja-tehran-tabriz/
raja-tehran-isfahan,Raja Tehran–Isfahan,Tehran,Isfahan,classic,Raja intercity coaches,Raja · Iranian Railways (RAI),450,160,6 h 30 min,1966,,IR,Iran,"Links the capital to the old Safavid capital and its UNESCO-listed Naqsh-e Jahan Square, shadowing Iran’s still-unfinished first high-speed line.",664,https://trainrouter.com/routes/raja-tehran-isfahan/
raja-tehran-bandar-abbas,Raja Tehran–Bandar Abbas,Tehran,Bandar Abbas,night,Raja long-distance sleeper,Raja · Iranian Railways (RAI),1286,160,20 h,1995,,IR,Iran,"One of Iran’s longest single-train rides: ~1,290 km across the central desert past Yazd to the Strait of Hormuz, completed when the Bafq link opened in 1995.",400,https://trainrouter.com/routes/raja-tehran-bandar-abbas/
yht-ankara-konya,Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT),Ankara,Konya,high-speed,HT80000 · HT65000,TCDD Taşımacılık,306,250,1 h 45 min,2011,,TR,Türkiye,"Turkey’s second high-speed line (2011) cut Ankara–Konya from over 10 hours to under two, racing across the Anatolian steppe past salt-pan Lake Tuz.",611,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yht-ankara-konya/
yht-ankara-sivas,Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT),Ankara,Sivas,high-speed,HT80000 (Velaro TR),TCDD Taşımacılık,406,250,2 h 51 min,2023,,TR,Türkiye,Turkey’s longest domestic high-speed line — 406 km over 11 tunnels and 6 viaducts — replaced a 12-hour conventional slog to Sivas with under three hours.,597,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yht-ankara-sivas/
izmir-mavi-treni-ankara-izmir,İzmir Mavi Treni,Ankara,Izmir,night,E68000 loco · sleeper & Pullman cars,TCDD Taşımacılık,883,120,13 h,1983,,TR,Türkiye,One of Turkey’s last classic ’Blue Train’ sleepers — 883 km overnight across western Anatolia via Eskişehir while the parallel high-speed line stays years off.,241,https://trainrouter.com/routes/izmir-mavi-treni-ankara-izmir/
dogu-ekspresi-ankara-kars,Doğu Ekspresi,Ankara,Kars,scenic,TCDD sleeper & couchette cars,TCDD Taşımacılık,1365,120,25 h,1936,,TR,Türkiye,"Turkey’s cult 1,365 km trans-Anatolian sleeper to the snowy Caucasus frontier at Kars; social-media fame makes seats sell out weeks ahead.",243,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dogu-ekspresi-ankara-kars/
israelrail-tel-aviv-beersheba,Israel Railways · Beersheba line,Tel Aviv,Beersheba,classic,Bombardier bi-level push-pull,Israel Railways,93,160,1 h 5 min,1997,,IL,Israel,"A fast double-tracked run to the Negev’s capital, tracing the Ottoman military railway thrown down in 1915 to supply the WWI Sinai front.",728,https://trainrouter.com/routes/israelrail-tel-aviv-beersheba/
israelrail-nahariya-tel-aviv,Israel Railways · Coastal line,Nahariya,Tel Aviv,classic,Bombardier bi-level push-pull,Israel Railways,107,160,1 h 41 min,1953,,IL,Israel,"Israel’s busiest rail corridor hugs the Mediterranean shore from the Galilee coast through Haifa Bay to Tel Aviv, with trains every 15–30 minutes.",726,https://trainrouter.com/routes/israelrail-nahariya-tel-aviv/
sar-riyadh-dammam,SAR East Train,Riyadh,Dammam,classic,CAF diesel push-pull,Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR),449,180,3 h 40 min,1951,,SA,Saudi Arabia,Saudi Arabia’s first railway — the 1951 Dammam–Riyadh line built under King Abdulaziz — still crosses the Eastern desert and the vast Al-Ahsa oasis.,666,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sar-riyadh-dammam/
sar-riyadh-qurayyat,SAR North Train,Riyadh,Qurayyat,classic,CAF push-pull (day & sleeper),Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR),1242,200,11 h,2017,,SA,Saudi Arabia,"At 1,242 km Saudi Arabia’s longest passenger line strikes north from Riyadh across the Great Nafud desert to Qurayyat near the Jordanian border.",633,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sar-riyadh-qurayyat/
enr-cairo-alexandria-talgo,Talgo Intercity,Cairo,Alexandria,classic,Talgo 230,Egyptian National Railways (ENR),208,160,2 h 30 min,1856,,EG,Egypt,Cairo–Alexandria is the oldest railway in Africa and the Middle East (1854–56); since December 2022 it has been worked by Spain’s Talgo 230 trainsets.,500,https://trainrouter.com/routes/enr-cairo-alexandria-talgo/
hejaz-amman-mafraq,Hejaz Railway (heritage),Amman,Mafraq,scenic,Vintage narrow-gauge coaches; occasional steam,Jordan Hejaz Railway,70,40,2 h 30 min,1903,,JO,Jordan,"Lawrence of Arabia’s Ottoman pilgrimage railway; heritage trains still run north from Amman via Zarqa, and a Hejaz steam loco fired up again in 2025 after 40 years.",170,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hejaz-amman-mafraq/
al-atlas-casablanca-fez,Al Atlas,Casablanca,Fez,classic,ONCF intercity,ONCF,320,160,3 h 20 min,1923,,MA,Morocco,"The everyday intercity linking Morocco’s imperial cities — Rabat, Meknès and Fès — up to eight times a day, parallel to but separate from the Al Boraq high-speed line.",471,https://trainrouter.com/routes/al-atlas-casablanca-fez/
al-atlas-tangier-fez,Al Atlas,Tangier,Fez,classic,ONCF intercity,ONCF,300,160,4 h 13 min,1927,,MA,Morocco,"A surviving direct classic train after Al Boraq took the coastal corridor in 2018 — still running Tanger Ville to Fès with no change, via the Rif foothills.",476,https://trainrouter.com/routes/al-atlas-tangier-fez/
al-atlas-fez-oujda,Al Atlas Oriental,Fez,Oujda,classic,ONCF intercity,ONCF,320,160,5 h 30 min,1934,,MA,Morocco,The slow ’Oriental’ run threads the Taza Gap between the Rif and Middle Atlas to reach Oujda on the sealed Algerian frontier.,251,https://trainrouter.com/routes/al-atlas-fez-oujda/
sncft-tunis-sfax,SNCFT Grandes Lignes,Tunis,Sfax,classic,Air-conditioned express,SNCFT,270,120,≈ 4 h 30 min,1912,,TN,Tunisia,Tunisia’s metre-gauge trunk line runs frequent air-conditioned expresses down the Sahel coast past the great Roman amphitheatre of El Jem to Sfax.,482,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sncft-tunis-sfax/
grc-accra-tema,Accra–Tema Shuttle,Accra,Tema,classic,Diesel railcar / coaches,Ghana Railway Company,32,80,1 h,2022,,GH,Ghana,"Revived in July 2022, the shuttle turns a peak-hour road crawl of up to two hours into a roughly one-hour rail run between Ghana’s capital and its main port at Tema.",742,https://trainrouter.com/routes/grc-accra-tema/
sitarail-ouagadougou-bobo-dioulasso,Sitarail Voyageurs,Ouagadougou,Bobo-Dioulasso,classic,Sitarail coaches · GL30 diesel,Sitarail (AGL),340,70,8 h,1954,,BF,Burkina Faso,The lone survivor of the once-famous Abidjan–Ouagadougou train — a weekly Burkina-only service revived in November 2023 between the two biggest cities.,682,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sitarail-ouagadougou-bobo-dioulasso/
setrag-owendo-franceville,Transgabonais,Libreville,Franceville,classic,SETRAG express with couchettes,SETRAG,648,80,14 h,1986,248000,GA,Gabon,"Gabon’s only passenger railway climbs from the Atlantic at Owendo through equatorial rainforest past Lopé National Park to Franceville, running largely overnight.",224,https://trainrouter.com/routes/setrag-owendo-franceville/
sctp-matadi-kinshasa,Matadi–Kinshasa,Matadi,Kinshasa,classic,KiHa 183 railcars (ex-JR Hokkaido),SCTP,366,60,8 h,1898,,CD,DR Congo,"Reopened in September 2025 after a five-year landslide closure, now worked at weekends by KiHa 183 railcars shipped from Japan, relinking Kinshasa to its Atlantic port.",466,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sctp-matadi-kinshasa/
shosholoza-meyl-johannesburg-east-london,Shosholoza Meyl,Johannesburg,East London,night,PRASA sleeper & sitter coaches,PRASA,1000,90,20 h,1997,,ZA,South Africa,The last affordable long-distance sleeper in South Africa — an overnight economy train across the Free State Highveld and Stormberg to the Indian Ocean at East London.,410,https://trainrouter.com/routes/shosholoza-meyl-johannesburg-east-london/
cfm-nampula-cuamba,Nampula–Cuamba,Nampula,Cuamba,classic,CDN economy & business coaches,Nacala Logistics · CFM,348,60,12 h,1950,,MZ,Mozambique,"One of Africa’s great budget rail adventures — a full day across the baobab-studded bush of Niassa, carriages packed with traders and sacks of produce.",680,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cfm-nampula-cuamba/
cfm-beira-moatize-sena,Sena Line,Beira,Moatize,classic,CFM diesel-hauled coaches,CFM,575,60,20 h,1949,,MZ,Mozambique,"A subsidised lifeline up the Zambezi valley, crossing the 3.7 km Dona Ana bridge — once the longest railway bridge in Africa — from the port of Beira to the Tete coalfields.",653,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cfm-beira-moatize-sena/
urc-kampala-mukono-commuter,Kampala–Mukono commuter,Kampala,Mukono,classic,URC diesel-hauled coaches,Uganda Railways,27,60,1 h 10 min,2024,,UG,Uganda,"Revived in December 2024 on the century-old metre-gauge ’Lunatic Line,’ it beats Kampala’s notorious gridlock into the city for a few thousand shillings.",743,https://trainrouter.com/routes/urc-kampala-mukono-commuter/
fce-fianarantsoa-manakara,Fianarantsoa–Côte Est (FCE),Fianarantsoa,Manakara,scenic,Mixed passenger/freight coaches,FCE,163,30,10 h,1936,,MG,Madagascar,"Madagascar’s rainforest lifeline — 67 bridges and 48 tunnels down a 1,100 m escarpment past waterfalls; villages survive by loading bananas and coffee onto the train.",264,https://trainrouter.com/routes/fce-fianarantsoa-manakara/
madarail-antananarivo-antsirabe,Trans Lémurie Express,Antananarivo,Antsirabe,scenic,"Madarail ""Rosewood Class"" coaches",Madarail,153,40,5 h,1923,,MG,Madagascar,"Reopened in December 2023 after ~30 years shut by cyclone damage, its rosewood-trimmed cars climb through the highlands to the spa town of Antsirabe.",272,https://trainrouter.com/routes/madarail-antananarivo-antsirabe/
eritrean-railway-asmara-massawa,Eritrean Railway,Asmara,Massawa,scenic,1930s Ansaldo Mallet steam,Eritrean Railway,118,30,8 h,1911,,ER,Eritrea,"Pre-war Italian Mallet steam locos still claw up 3.5% grades and switchbacks 2,300 m between the Red Sea and Asmara — one of the great colonial mountain railways.",169,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eritrean-railway-asmara-massawa/
sudan-railways-port-sudan-atbara,Port Sudan–Atbara,Port Sudan,Atbara,classic,SRC diesel & coaches,Sudan Railways,474,60,12 h,1906,,SD,Sudan,The first railway to reopen after Sudan’s civil war (December 2024) — a fortnightly desert lifeline from the Red Sea across Nubian scrub to the Nile junction at Atbara.,451,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sudan-railways-port-sudan-atbara/
sj-snabbtag-stockholm-malmo,SJ Snabbtåg,Stockholm,Malmö,classic,X 2000,SJ,614,200,4 h 22 min,1990,,SE,Sweden,SJ’s tilting X2000 links Stockholm with Malmö and the Øresund gateway at up to 200 km/h — Sweden’s flagship fast run down the Southern Main Line.,649,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sj-snabbtag-stockholm-malmo/
sj-stockholm-sundsvall,SJ Snabbtåg,Stockholm,Sundsvall,classic,X55 · SJ 3000,SJ,343,200,3 h 15 min,1927,,SE,Sweden,Fast SJ trains climb the East Coast Line along the Gulf of Bothnia’s shore to the old timber city of Sundsvall.,469,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sj-stockholm-sundsvall/
sj-nattag-stockholm-are,SJ Nattåg,Stockholm,Åre,night,WL sleeping cars,SJ,630,160,9 h,1882,,SE,Sweden,SJ’s sleeper rolls out of Stockholm at night and wakes among the snow-clad fells of Jämtland at the Åre ski resort.,336,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sj-nattag-stockholm-are/
norrtag-umea-lulea,Norrtåg,Umeå,Luleå,classic,Bombardier Regina (X52),Norrtåg,215,180,3 h 55 min,2012,,SE,Sweden,A rare passenger run through Norrland’s forests joining two northern university cities near the head of the Gulf of Bothnia.,709,https://trainrouter.com/routes/norrtag-umea-lulea/
roslagsbanan-stockholm-karsta,Roslagsbanan,Stockholm,Kårsta,scenic,SL X10p (891 mm),SL,43,80,1 h,1885,,SE,Sweden,"Sweden’s last commercial narrow-gauge railway (891 mm), still threading Stockholm’s leafy northern suburbs out to rural Kårsta.",298,https://trainrouter.com/routes/roslagsbanan-stockholm-karsta/
oresundstag-gothenburg-copenhagen,Öresundståg,Gothenburg,Copenhagen,classic,X31 Contessa,Öresundståg,336,180,3 h 50 min,2000,,SE|DK,Sweden|Denmark,"Rolls off Sweden’s West Coast Line and over the 8 km Øresund Bridge, plunging into the Drogden tunnel to reach Copenhagen.",684,https://trainrouter.com/routes/oresundstag-gothenburg-copenhagen/
dsb-ic-copenhagen-aalborg,DSB InterCity,Copenhagen,Aalborg,classic,IC3 (MF),DSB,425,180,4 h 27 min,1869,,DK,Denmark,"DSB’s long haul up Jutland — crossing the Great Belt Fixed Link — to Aalborg, gateway to Denmark’s north.",457,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dsb-ic-copenhagen-aalborg/
dsb-ic-copenhagen-esbjerg,DSB InterCity,Copenhagen,Esbjerg,classic,IC3 (MF),DSB,315,180,2 h 55 min,1874,,DK,Denmark,"Runs west to Esbjerg, Denmark’s North Sea port and the historic embarkation point for steamers and emigrants to Britain.",472,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dsb-ic-copenhagen-esbjerg/
vy-oslo-halden,Østfoldbanen,Oslo,Halden,classic,Stadler Flirt Type 75,Vy,136,160,1 h 45 min,1879,,NO,Norway,Vy’s RE20 traces the Østfold Line down the east shore of the Oslofjord toward the Swedish border at Halden.,521,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vy-oslo-halden/
gjovikbanen-oslo-gjovik,Gjøvikbanen,Oslo,Gjøvik,classic,NSB Class 69,Vy,124,130,2 h,1902,,NO,Norway,Climbs out of Oslo through the deep Nordmarka forest and over Hadeland to Lake Mjøsa at Gjøvik.,524,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gjovikbanen-oslo-gjovik/
vy-oslo-skien,Vestfoldbanen,Oslo,Skien,classic,Stadler Flirt Type 74,Vy,170,200,2 h 10 min,1881,,NO,Norway,"The Vestfold Line runs down the fjord’s west side through Tønsberg, Norway’s oldest town, to industrial Grenland.",512,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vy-oslo-skien/
pendolino-helsinki-oulu,VR Pendolino,Helsinki,Oulu,classic,Sm3 Pendolino,VR,690,200,5 h 25 min,1995,,FI,Finland,VR’s tilting Pendolino sprints up the 200 km/h Finnish Main Line toward the head of the Gulf of Bothnia at Oulu.,643,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pendolino-helsinki-oulu/
vr-helsinki-joensuu,VR InterCity,Helsinki,Joensuu,classic,Sr2 · double-deck IC,VR,448,200,4 h 9 min,1894,,FI,Finland,"A double-deck InterCity east along the Karelian line to Joensuu, gateway to Finland’s forested North Karelia.",455,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vr-helsinki-joensuu/
vr-helsinki-kuopio,VR InterCity,Helsinki,Kuopio,classic,InterCity2 double-deck,VR,455,200,4 h 8 min,1889,,FI,Finland,The Savonia line threads north between the islands of Finland’s lake district to Kuopio.,454,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vr-helsinki-kuopio/
vr-night-train-helsinki-kolari,VR Night Train,Helsinki,Kolari,night,double-deck sleeper,VR,989,160,14 h 30 min,1966,,FI,Finland,Finland’s northernmost railhead: an overnight car-carrier sleeper above the Arctic Circle to the fells of Ylläs and Levi.,411,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vr-night-train-helsinki-kolari/
elron-tallinn-tartu,Elron,Tallinn,Tartu,classic,Stadler FLIRT,Elron,185,120,1 h 55 min,1876,,EE,Estonia,"Estonia’s busiest intercity run — orange Stadler FLIRTs linking Tallinn with Tartu, the country’s ancient university city.",507,https://trainrouter.com/routes/elron-tallinn-tartu/
elron-tallinn-narva,Elron,Tallinn,Narva,classic,Stadler FLIRT,Elron,210,120,2 h 27 min,1870,,EE,Estonia,"Runs east to Narva on the Russian frontier, where two medieval castles face off across the border river.",498,https://trainrouter.com/routes/elron-tallinn-narva/
elron-tallinn-viljandi,Elron,Tallinn,Viljandi,classic,Stadler FLIRT,Elron,161,120,2 h 5 min,1901,,EE,Estonia,A rural FLIRT ride south through Estonia’s forests and bogs to the lakeside hill town of Viljandi.,515,https://trainrouter.com/routes/elron-tallinn-viljandi/
vivi-riga-daugavpils,Vivi,Riga,Daugavpils,classic,DR1A DMU,Pasažieru vilciens,218,120,3 h,1861,,LV,Latvia,"The historic Riga–Dünaburg line to Daugavpils, Latvia’s second city, hard by the Lithuanian and Belarusian borders.",496,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vivi-riga-daugavpils/
vivi-riga-valga,Vivi,Riga,Valga,classic,PESA 730ML,Pasažieru vilciens,170,120,2 h 25 min,1889,,LV|EE,Latvia|Estonia,Vivi’s new PESA railcars reach the twin border town of Valga/Valka — split between Estonia and Latvia — now a link in the Baltic capitals chain.,513,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vivi-riga-valga/
vivi-riga-liepaja,Vivi,Riga,Liepāja,classic,DR1AM DMU,Pasažieru vilciens,215,100,3 h 16 min,2017,,LV,Latvia,"A once-daily run reborn in 2017, crossing Courland to Liepāja, the windswept Baltic port and former Tsarist naval base.",710,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vivi-riga-liepaja/
ltg-link-vilnius-kaunas,LTG Link,Vilnius,Kaunas,classic,Škoda EJ575,LTG Link,102,160,1 h 5 min,1862,,LT,Lithuania,Hourly express between Lithuania’s two largest cities along a segment of the old St Petersburg–Warsaw Railway.,529,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ltg-link-vilnius-kaunas/
ltg-link-vilnius-klaipeda,LTG Link,Vilnius,Klaipėda,classic,PESA 730ML,LTG Link,376,120,4 h 39 min,1875,,LT,Lithuania,"LTG Link’s longest domestic haul, crossing Samogitia to Klaipėda, Lithuania’s only seaport on the Baltic.",465,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ltg-link-vilnius-klaipeda/
ltg-link-vilnius-riga,LTG Link,Vilnius,Riga,classic,PESA 730ML,LTG Link,360,120,4 h 13 min,2023,,LT|LV,Lithuania|Latvia,"The first direct Vilnius–Riga train in decades, restored in 2023, reconnecting two Baltic capitals via Šiauliai and Jelgava.",677,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ltg-link-vilnius-riga/
ltg-link-vilnius-warsaw,LTG Link,Vilnius,Warsaw,classic,LTG DMU + PKP IC,LTG Link / PKP Intercity,620,160,7 h 30 min,2022,,LT|PL,Lithuania|Poland,"For years the Baltics’ only rail gateway to the rest of Europe — Vilnius to Warsaw through the Suwałki Gap, changing trains at Mockava.",648,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ltg-link-vilnius-warsaw/
vande-bharat-mumbai-ahmedabad,Vande Bharat Express,Mumbai,Ahmedabad,classic,Vande Bharat · Train 18,Indian Railways,493,130,5 h 25 min,2022,,IN,India,India’s third Vande Bharat: a fully-AC self-propelled set gliding the Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor at up to 130 km/h.,659,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vande-bharat-mumbai-ahmedabad/
vande-bharat-delhi-katra,Vande Bharat Express,Delhi,Katra,classic,Vande Bharat · Train 18,Indian Railways,655,130,8 h,2019,,IN,India,"India’s second Vande Bharat, launched 2019 to carry pilgrims 655 km from Delhi to the Vaishno Devi base town of Katra.",644,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vande-bharat-delhi-katra/
vande-bharat-chennai-mysuru,Vande Bharat Express,Chennai,Mysuru,classic,Vande Bharat · Train 18,Indian Railways,497,130,6 h 30 min,2022,,IN,India,"South India’s first Vande Bharat (India’s 5th), linking Chennai, Bengaluru’s tech hub and the palace city of Mysuru.",658,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vande-bharat-chennai-mysuru/
vande-bharat-katra-srinagar,Vande Bharat Express,Katra,Srinagar,scenic,Vande Bharat · Train 18,Indian Railways,190,130,3 h 20 min,2025,,IN,India,"Crosses the Chenab Rail Bridge — 359 m above the river, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower.",357,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vande-bharat-katra-srinagar/
gatimaan-express-delhi-jhansi,Gatimaan Express,Delhi,Jhansi,classic,WAP-5 · LHB rake,Indian Railways,403,160,4 h 25 min,2016,,IN,India,India’s first 160 km/h train — the “Speedy” express dashes Delhi to Jhansi via Agra’s Taj and the fort city of Gwalior.,671,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gatimaan-express-delhi-jhansi/
vivek-express-dibrugarh-kanyakumari,Vivek Express,Dibrugarh,Kanyakumari,classic,LHB superfast rake,Indian Railways,4154,110,3 days,2011,,IN,India,"India’s longest train journey: 4,154 km and roughly 75 hours from Assam’s tea country to the subcontinent’s southern tip.",630,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vivek-express-dibrugarh-kanyakumari/
palace-on-wheels,Palace on Wheels,Delhi,Delhi,scenic,saloon rake,RTDC · Indian Railways,2300,110,8 days,1982,,IN,India,India’s original luxury train (1982): a week-long Rajasthan circuit in carriages styled on the private saloons of the maharajas.,26,https://trainrouter.com/routes/palace-on-wheels/
deccan-odyssey,Deccan Odyssey,Mumbai,Mumbai,scenic,luxury saloon rake,MTDC · Indian Railways,2200,110,8 days,2004,,IN,India,Maharashtra’s answer to the Palace on Wheels — a blue-liveried luxury rake looping the Konkan coast to the Ajanta and Ellora caves.,226,https://trainrouter.com/routes/deccan-odyssey/
kangra-valley-railway,Kangra Valley Railway,Pathankot,Joginder Nagar,scenic,ZDM narrow-gauge diesel,Indian Railways,164,50,10 h,1929,,IN,India,"The world’s longest 2 ft 6 in narrow-gauge line, curling 164 km beneath the snow-capped Dhauladhar range on nearly 1,000 bridges.",263,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kangra-valley-railway/
tejas-express-delhi-lucknow,Tejas Express,Delhi,Lucknow,classic,Tejas LHB rake,IRCTC,512,130,6 h 15 min,2019,,IN,India,"India’s first train run by a separate operator, IRCTC, rather than the Railways — with onboard hosts and automatic payouts for delays.",656,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tejas-express-delhi-lucknow/
mumbai-howrah-duronto,Duronto Express,Mumbai,Howrah,night,LHB AC rake,Indian Railways,1968,130,27 h 25 min,2009,,IN,India,"An all-AC, near-non-stop “Duronto” linking India’s two biggest cities across the central heartland in about 27 hours.",389,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mumbai-howrah-duronto/
shatabdi-delhi-amritsar,Swarna Shatabdi,Delhi,Amritsar,classic,WAP-7 · LHB rake,Indian Railways,448,110,6 h 15 min,1994,,IN,India,The Swarna Shatabdi day train (1994) speeds from the capital to the Golden Temple city of Amritsar in a shade over six hours.,667,https://trainrouter.com/routes/shatabdi-delhi-amritsar/
subak-raftar-lahore-rawalpindi,Subak Raftar,Lahore,Rawalpindi,classic,Pakistan Railways rake,Pakistan Railways,290,105,4 h 35 min,1881,,PK,Pakistan,"A fast daytime intercity up Pakistan’s historic Main Line 1, sprinting Lahore to Rawalpindi across the Chenab and Jhelum rivers.",478,https://trainrouter.com/routes/subak-raftar-lahore-rawalpindi/
parabat-express-dhaka-sylhet,Parabat Express,Dhaka,Sylhet,classic,PT Inka rake,Bangladesh Railway,319,100,6 h 30 min,1986,,BD,Bangladesh,"Runs Dhaka to Sylhet through the emerald tea gardens and forested hills of Srimangal, Bangladesh’s brew capital.",691,https://trainrouter.com/routes/parabat-express-dhaka-sylhet/
sundarban-express-dhaka-khulna,Sundarban Express,Dhaka,Khulna,classic,PT Inka rake,Bangladesh Railway,383,100,7 h 30 min,2003,,BD,Bangladesh,"Now races Dhaka to Khulna over the 6.1 km Padma Bridge, whose rail deck opened in 2024 to slash the journey to the southwest.",673,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sundarban-express-dhaka-khulna/
banalata-express-dhaka-rajshahi,Banalata Express,Dhaka,Rajshahi,classic,PT Inka rake,Bangladesh Railway,276,110,4 h 40 min,2019,,BD,Bangladesh,"Bangladesh’s flagship no-stop intercity, sweeping across the 4.8 km Jamuna “Bangabandhu” Bridge on its Dhaka–Rajshahi dash.",701,https://trainrouter.com/routes/banalata-express-dhaka-rajshahi/
yal-devi-colombo-jaffna,Yal Devi,Colombo,Jaffna,classic,Class M10 diesel,Sri Lanka Railways,304,120,6 h 40 min,1956,,LK,Sri Lanka,"Sri Lanka’s Northern Line express — its tracks to Jaffna, torn up during 25 years of civil war, were relaid and reopened in 2015.",694,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yal-devi-colombo-jaffna/
hanoi-lao-cai-railway,Lào Cai Sleeper,Hanoi,Lao Cai,night,SP1/SP3 sleeper,Vietnam Railways,296,60,8 h,1906,,VN,Vietnam,"Overnight metre-gauge sleeper up the Red River valley to Lào Cai, the mountain gateway to the terraced rice slopes of Sapa.",344,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hanoi-lao-cai-railway/
hanoi-haiphong-railway,Hai Phong Line,Hanoi,Hai Phong,classic,Vietnam Railways railcar,Vietnam Railways,102,60,2 h 25 min,1902,,VN,Vietnam,"French-built in 1902, this metre-gauge line still links Hanoi to Vietnam’s great northern port through the Red River delta.",528,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hanoi-haiphong-railway/
dalat-trai-mat-railway,Da Lat Railway,Da Lat,Trai Mat,scenic,heritage railcar,Vietnam Railways,7,30,25 min,1932,,VN,Vietnam,The last working stub of the French cog railway to Da Lat — 7 km of heritage track from a 1938 Art Deco station to Trại Mát.,318,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dalat-trai-mat-railway/
maeklong-railway,Maeklong Railway,Bangkok,Samut Songkhram,scenic,SRT THN railcar,State Railway of Thailand,67,30,3 h,1905,,TH,Thailand,"At Mae Klong the train noses through Talat Rom Hup, the market whose stallholders whisk their awnings off the rails as it passes.",22,https://trainrouter.com/routes/maeklong-railway/
bangkok-aranyaprathet,Eastern Line,Bangkok,Aranyaprathet,classic,SRT THN railcar,State Railway of Thailand,255,100,5 h 15 min,1926,,TH,Thailand,Bargain 3rd-class ordinary trains rattle to the frontier at Ban Khlong Luek — Thailand’s rail gateway to Cambodia and Angkor.,484,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bangkok-aranyaprathet/
ktm-ets-kl-padang-besar,KTM ETS,Kuala Lumpur,Padang Besar,classic,KTM Class 93 ETS,KTM,500,140,5 h 30 min,2015,,MY,Malaysia,"The world’s fastest metre-gauge service at 140 km/h, running the peninsula’s west coast to the Thai border at Padang Besar.",657,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ktm-ets-kl-padang-besar/
jungle-railway-gemas-tumpat,Jungle Railway,Gemas,Tumpat,scenic,KTM diesel railcar,KTM,528,90,11 h,1931,,MY,Malaysia,"The nicknamed Jungle Railway threads Malaysia’s rainforested interior past Taman Negara, from Gemas up to Tumpat near the Thai border.",246,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jungle-railway-gemas-tumpat/
argo-parahyangan-jakarta-bandung,Argo Parahyangan,Jakarta,Bandung,classic,CC206-hauled rake,Kereta Api Indonesia,166,120,2 h 50 min,2010,,ID,Indonesia,The scenic conventional climb over the Priangan highlands and tall Cikubang viaduct — the leisurely rival to the Whoosh bullet line.,715,https://trainrouter.com/routes/argo-parahyangan-jakarta-bandung/
krl-yogyakarta-solo,KRL Commuterline,Yogyakarta,Solo,classic,KfW i9000 EMU,KAI Commuter,65,90,1 h 10 min,2021,,ID,Indonesia,"Java’s first electrified inter-city commuter outside Jakarta, gliding past the 9th-century Prambanan temples between two royal cities.",735,https://trainrouter.com/routes/krl-yogyakarta-solo/
yangon-mandalay-railway,Yangon–Mandalay Express,Yangon,Mandalay,classic,DEMU railcar,Myanma Railways,620,100,10 h,1889,,MM,Myanmar,"Myanmar’s 1889 British-built rail spine, now covered in about 10 hours by new air-conditioned DEMU expresses.",442,https://trainrouter.com/routes/yangon-mandalay-railway/
pnr-calamba-lucena,PNR Commuter,Calamba,Lucena,classic,Kiha 59 DMU,Philippine National Railways,90,60,2 h 33 min,1916,,PH,Philippines,"A surviving stretch of the century-old Manila–Legazpi main line, its ex-Japanese railcars trundling through Quezon’s coconut country.",531,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pnr-calamba-lucena/
gwr-london-penzance,Cornish Riviera Express,London,Penzance,classic,Class 802 IET,Great Western Railway,491,200,5 h,1904,,GB,United Kingdom,"The daytime flyer to Britain’s far south-west since 1904, racing 300 miles past Dartmoor and along the wave-battered Dawlish sea wall to Penzance.",449,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gwr-london-penzance/
gwr-london-swansea,South Wales Main Line,London,Swansea,classic,Class 800 IET,Great Western Railway,306,200,2 h 45 min,1850,,GB,United Kingdom,GWR’s flagship South Wales express; Hitachi bi-modes drop off the 25 kV wires west of Cardiff and switch to diesel for the last dash to Swansea.,474,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gwr-london-swansea/
gwr-london-bristol,Great Western Main Line,London,Bristol,classic,Class 800 IET,Great Western Railway,190,200,1 h 19 min,1841,,GB,United Kingdom,"Brunel’s original 1841 main line — famously flat and straight, boring dead-level through the 3 km Box Tunnel, said to face the sunrise on his birthday.",506,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gwr-london-bristol/
avanti-london-manchester,Avanti West Coast,London,Manchester,classic,Class 390 Pendolino,Avanti West Coast,296,200,2 h 7 min,1966,,GB,United Kingdom,"Italian-built tilting Pendolinos lean into the curves of the West Coast Main Line, holding 125 mph where an upright train would have to brake.",696,https://trainrouter.com/routes/avanti-london-manchester/
avanti-london-liverpool,Avanti West Coast,London,Liverpool,classic,Class 390 Pendolino,Avanti West Coast,286,200,2 h 8 min,1966,,GB,United Kingdom,"Fast tilting Pendolinos finish at Liverpool Lime Street, opened 1836 and one of the world’s oldest grand terminus stations still in daily use.",698,https://trainrouter.com/routes/avanti-london-liverpool/
avanti-london-birmingham,Avanti West Coast,London,Birmingham,classic,Class 390 Pendolino,Avanti West Coast,182,200,1 h 23 min,1838,,GB,United Kingdom,Traces the pioneering 1838 London and Birmingham Railway — the first great trunk line driven into the capital — from Euston to England’s second city.,508,https://trainrouter.com/routes/avanti-london-birmingham/
lner-london-leeds,LNER,London,Leeds,classic,Class 801 Azuma,London North Eastern Railway,270,200,2 h 9 min,1852,,GB,United Kingdom,Japanese-designed Azuma bi-modes sprint the East Coast Main Line out of King’s Cross (1852) to reach Leeds in a little over two hours.,481,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lner-london-leeds/
lner-london-newcastle,LNER,London,Newcastle,classic,Class 800 Azuma,London North Eastern Railway,394,200,2 h 37 min,1850,,GB,United Kingdom,"Azuma expresses hold 125 mph down the East Coast Main Line, sweeping over the Tyne into Newcastle on Robert Stephenson’s High Level Bridge.",464,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lner-london-newcastle/
crosscountry-aberdeen-plymouth,CrossCountry,Aberdeen,Plymouth,classic,Class 220 Voyager,CrossCountry,1118,200,11 h 30 min,2025,,GB,United Kingdom,Britain’s longest direct train — one Voyager grinding 695 miles and nearly 40 stops from Aberdeen on the North Sea to Plymouth on the Channel.,634,https://trainrouter.com/routes/crosscountry-aberdeen-plymouth/
kyle-of-lochalsh-line,Kyle of Lochalsh Line,Inverness,Kyle of Lochalsh,scenic,Class 158,ScotRail,132,120,2 h 38 min,1897,,GB,United Kingdom,"One of the world’s great scenic railways, blasted through Torridonian rock for 82 miles from Inverness to the Skye ferry pier at Kyle of Lochalsh.",277,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kyle-of-lochalsh-line/
far-north-line,Far North Line,Inverness,Wick,scenic,Class 158,ScotRail,259,120,4 h 21 min,1874,,GB,United Kingdom,"Britain’s most northerly line, a lonely 4-hour run to Wick that swings far inland on the Lairg Loop to dodge the deep Highland sea firths.",254,https://trainrouter.com/routes/far-north-line/
heart-of-wales-line,Heart of Wales Line,Swansea,Shrewsbury,scenic,Class 150,Transport for Wales,195,95,4 h,1868,,GB,United Kingdom,"A 121-mile request-stop ramble through empty Mid Wales, crossing the castle-like 13-arch Knucklas Viaduct where trains halt only if you flag them down.",256,https://trainrouter.com/routes/heart-of-wales-line/
cambrian-coast-line,Cambrian Coast Line,Machynlleth,Pwllheli,scenic,Class 158,Transport for Wales,93,120,2 h 24 min,1867,,GB,United Kingdom,"Clings to the Mid-Wales shore on mostly single track, rumbling across the half-mile timber Barmouth Viaduct over the Mawddach estuary.",286,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cambrian-coast-line/
north-wales-coast-line,North Wales Coast Line,Crewe,Holyhead,classic,Class 197,Transport for Wales,171,145,2 h 10 min,1850,,GB,United Kingdom,"The old Irish Mail route to the Dublin ferries, crossing Robert Stephenson’s Britannia Bridge to Anglesey and skirting the walls of Conwy Castle.",511,https://trainrouter.com/routes/north-wales-coast-line/
north-yorkshire-moors-railway,North Yorkshire Moors Railway,Pickering,Whitby,scenic,Heritage steam,North Yorkshire Moors Railway,39,40,2 h,1973,350000,GB,United Kingdom,"One of the world’s busiest steam heritage lines, climbing Stephenson’s 1836 route over the moors to Goathland — Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter films.",151,https://trainrouter.com/routes/north-yorkshire-moors-railway/
severn-valley-railway,Severn Valley Railway,Kidderminster,Bridgnorth,scenic,Heritage steam,Severn Valley Railway,26,40,1 h 15 min,1970,250000,GB,United Kingdom,"Sixteen miles of preserved Great Western branch line tracing the River Severn, crossing the water on the graceful iron span of Victoria Bridge.",152,https://trainrouter.com/routes/severn-valley-railway/
bluebell-railway,Bluebell Railway,Sheffield Park,East Grinstead,scenic,Heritage steam,Bluebell Railway,18,40,45 min,1960,,GB,United Kingdom,"The world’s first preserved standard-gauge passenger railway, running vintage steam through the Sussex Weald without a break since 1960.",234,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bluebell-railway/
west-somerset-railway,West Somerset Railway,Bishops Lydeard,Minehead,scenic,Heritage steam,West Somerset Railway,37,40,1 h 20 min,1976,,GB,United Kingdom,Britain’s longest heritage railway — nearly 23 miles of steam from the Quantock Hills down to the Bristol Channel shore at Minehead.,230,https://trainrouter.com/routes/west-somerset-railway/
vale-of-rheidol-railway,Vale of Rheidol Railway,Aberystwyth,Devil’s Bridge,scenic,Narrow-gauge steam,Vale of Rheidol Railway,19,24,1 h,1902,,GB,United Kingdom,Narrow-gauge steam grinding 200 m uphill from the sea at Aberystwyth to the wooded gorge of Devil’s Bridge — the last steam line British Rail ever ran.,192,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vale-of-rheidol-railway/
dublin-galway,InterCity,Dublin,Galway,classic,Class 22000 ICR,Iarnród Éireann,208,160,2 h 20 min,1851,,IE,Ireland,"Iarnród Éireann’s diesel railcars strike west across the boggy Irish Midlands, crossing the Shannon at Athlone to the Atlantic city of Galway.",499,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dublin-galway/
dublin-limerick,InterCity,Dublin,Limerick,classic,Class 22000 ICR,Iarnród Éireann,200,160,2 h 15 min,1848,,IE,Ireland,"Leaves the Dublin–Cork main line at Limerick Junction, a curious station where trains long had to reverse, before the final run to the Shannon at Limerick.",503,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dublin-limerick/
dublin-sligo,InterCity,Dublin,Sligo,classic,Class 22000 ICR,Iarnród Éireann,178,160,3 h 3 min,1862,,IE,Ireland,"The old Midland Great Western route from Dublin Connolly over the drumlin lakelands to Sligo, W. B. Yeats’s country beneath flat-topped Ben Bulben.",509,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dublin-sligo/
dublin-waterford,InterCity,Dublin,Waterford,classic,Class 22000 ICR,Iarnród Éireann,158,160,1 h 55 min,1854,,IE,Ireland,"Curves south-west from Dublin through medieval Kilkenny to Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, founded by Vikings on the tidal River Suir.",517,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dublin-waterford/
dublin-dart,DART,Howth,Greystones,classic,Class 8500 EMU,Iarnród Éireann,45,100,1 h 28 min,1984,,IE,Ireland,"Ireland’s only electrified railway, hugging Dublin Bay from the Howth peninsula past Killiney’s Irish Riviera to Greystones since 1984.",740,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dublin-dart/
belfast-derry-line,Belfast–Derry Line,Belfast,Derry,scenic,Class 4000 DMU,NI Railways,154,145,2 h 10 min,1852,,GB,United Kingdom,Michael Palin called the Coleraine–Derry run one of the world’s most beautiful; the train skims the Atlantic strand below cliff-top Mussenden Temple.,271,https://trainrouter.com/routes/belfast-derry-line/
dartmoor-line,Dartmoor Line,Exeter,Okehampton,classic,Class 150,Great Western Railway,25,120,40 min,2021,,GB,United Kingdom,"The first line reopened under Britain’s Restoring Your Railway plan, bringing regular trains back to Okehampton on the edge of Dartmoor half a century after closure.",744,https://trainrouter.com/routes/dartmoor-line/
sargan-eight,Šargan Eight,Mokra Gora,Šargan Vitasi,scenic,Narrow-gauge heritage railbus “Nostalgia” (Ćira) · Class 83 diesel,Srbijavoz,15.5,15,≈ 2 h (round trip),1925,,RS,Serbia,A 760 mm loop climbing 300 m through 22 tunnels and 5 bridges in a literal figure-eight to gain height.,309,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sargan-eight/
belgrade-nis,Belgrade–Niš Line,Belgrade,Niš,classic,Electric-locomotive-hauled regional coaches,Srbijavoz,230,100,≈ 6 h 20 min,1884,,RS,Serbia,"Serbia’s first main line squeezes through the Grdelica Gorge on stone viaducts — Corridor X’s slowest link, now rebuilding for 200 km/h.",488,https://trainrouter.com/routes/belgrade-nis/
zagreb-ljubljana,EuroCity “Sava”,Zagreb,Ljubljana,classic,SŽ series 342 electric locomotive · EuroCity coaches,HŽPP · Slovenske železnice,117,120,2 h 32 min,1862,,HR|SI,Croatia|Slovenia,"The EC “Sava” restored a direct Zagreb–Ljubljana run, and since June 2025 extends once a week onward to Pula for the first time in 30 years.",526,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zagreb-ljubljana/
bucharest-constanta,Bucharest–Constanța InterCity,Bucharest,Constanța,classic,Alstom Coradia Stream EMU,CFR Călători,225,160,2 h 07 min,1895,,RO,Romania,Romania’s fastest domestic run crosses the Danube on Anghel Saligny’s 1895 bridge before new EMUs race on to the Black Sea.,492,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bucharest-constanta/
messina-taormina-siracusa,Ionian Coast Line,Messina,Siracusa,scenic,Regionale Veloce coastal EMU,Trenitalia,158,130,3 h 34 min,1871,,IT,Italy,"Regional trains hug the Ionian shore beneath Mount Etna, calling at Taormina-Giardini before the Baroque port of Siracusa.",267,https://trainrouter.com/routes/messina-taormina-siracusa/
tren-de-la-fresa,Tren de la Fresa,Madrid,Aranjuez,scenic,"Vintage 1900s-style carriages, diesel-hauled",Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles · Renfe,48,90,≈ 50 min,1851,,ES,Spain,"Hostesses in 1920s dress hand out strawberries aboard replica carriages on Spain’s second-ever railway, opened in 1851.",173,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-de-la-fresa/
zaragoza-canfranc,El Canfranero,Zaragoza,Canfranc,scenic,Renfe Media Distancia diesel railcar,Renfe,180,100,3 h 45 min,1928,,ES,Spain,"Reopened in June 2025 after two years of works, the line climbs to Europe’s grandest abandoned border station, shut since a 1970 bridge collapse.",259,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zaragoza-canfranc/
barcelona-portbou,R11 Costa Brava Line,Barcelona,Portbou,scenic,Renfe Class 447/449 EMU,Rodalies de Catalunya,172,140,2 h 21 min,1878,,ES,Spain,"Regional trains skirt Costa Brava cliffs near the French border before Portbou, terminus of the line completed in 1878.",261,https://trainrouter.com/routes/barcelona-portbou/
linha-do-vouga,Linha do Vouga,Aveiro,Sernada do Vouga,scenic,Metre-gauge diesel railcar · heritage wooden-carriage train (summer Sat.),CP – Comboios de Portugal,37,50,≈ 1 h,1911,,PT,Portugal,Portugal’s last surviving metre-gauge line still carries commuters — and a vintage wooden-carriage special every summer Saturday.,300,https://trainrouter.com/routes/linha-do-vouga/
toulouse-latour-de-carol,Ligne des Pyrénées,Toulouse,Latour-de-Carol,scenic,SNCF TER Occitanie railcar,SNCF TER Occitanie,155,100,2 h 40 min,1929,,FR,France,"Four daily trains climb past Foix’s castle and Ax-les-Thermes to Latour-de-Carol, where three different rail gauges meet.",270,https://trainrouter.com/routes/toulouse-latour-de-carol/
rochers-de-naye,Montreux–Rochers-de-Naye Railway,Montreux,Rochers-de-Naye,scenic,MVR Abt-rack cogwheel train,Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera (MVR),10.9,20,55 min,1892,,CH,Switzerland,"Climbs 1,700 m from Lake Geneva’s shore to a marmot-filled Alpine garden in under an hour, on Abt rack track dating to 1892.",315,https://trainrouter.com/routes/rochers-de-naye/
wengernalpbahn,Wengernalpbahn,Lauterbrunnen,Grindelwald,scenic,WAB cogwheel electric multiple unit,Jungfraubahnen,19.1,30,≈ 1 h,1893,,CH,Switzerland,The world’s longest continuous cogwheel railway threads Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald beneath the Eiger’s north face via Kleine Scheidegg.,117,https://trainrouter.com/routes/wengernalpbahn/
furka-steam-railway,Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway,Realp,Oberwald,scenic,HG 3/4 steam locomotive,Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke (DFB),18,20,≈ 1 h 45 min,1925,,CH,Switzerland,"Volunteer-run steam locomotives claw over the 2,160 m Furka Pass past the Rhône Glacier on track abandoned when the base tunnel opened in 1982.",193,https://trainrouter.com/routes/furka-steam-railway/
brienz-rothorn-bahn,Brienz Rothorn Bahn,Brienz,Rothorn Kulm,scenic,H 2/3 steam rack locomotive,Brienz Rothorn Bahn,7.6,15,1 h,1892,,CH,Switzerland,"A 25% grade steam rack line — Europe’s highest unelectrified railway — climbs from Lake Brienz to a 2,244 m summit in an hour.",119,https://trainrouter.com/routes/brienz-rothorn-bahn/
chur-arosa,Chur–Arosa Line,Chur,Arosa,scenic,RhB Ge 4/4 II electric multiple unit,Rhaetian Railway (RhB),25.7,55,≈ 1 h,1914,,CH,Switzerland,Seventy curves and the record-setting 1914 Langwieser Viaduct carry hourly trains from Chur up into the ski resort of Arosa.,304,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chur-arosa/
achenseebahn,Achenseebahn,Jenbach,Achensee (Seespitz),scenic,Steam rack locomotive (built 1889),Achenseebahn AG,6.76,20,50 min,1889,,AT,Austria,Europe’s oldest still-working steam cog railway — its four 1889 locomotives haul open carriages up to the turquoise Achensee.,207,https://trainrouter.com/routes/achenseebahn/
schafbergbahn,Schafbergbahn,St. Wolfgang,Schafbergspitze,scenic,Steam & diesel rack locomotive,Salzburg AG,5.85,15,40 min,1893,,AT,Austria,"Austria’s steepest steam rack railway climbs 1,190 m in 40 minutes to a summit overlooking eleven Salzkammergut lakes.",120,https://trainrouter.com/routes/schafbergbahn/
pinzgaubahn,Pinzgauer Lokalbahn,Zell am See,Krimml,scenic,Narrow-gauge diesel railcar · steam train (Wed/Thu),Pinzgauer Lokalbahn (Salzburg AG),53,50,≈ 1 h 45 min,1898,,AT,Austria,"A 760 mm-gauge valley line follows the Salzach past Hohe Tauern peaks to Krimml, ending beneath Austria’s highest waterfall.",172,https://trainrouter.com/routes/pinzgaubahn/
zillertalbahn,Zillertalbahn,Jenbach,Mayrhofen,scenic,Modern diesel railcar · steam-hauled heritage train,Zillertaler Verkehrsbetriebe (ZVB),31.7,50,≈ 1 h,1902,1540000,AT,Austria,A working 760 mm-gauge valley railway that still runs steam trains alongside its half-hourly regular service to Mayrhofen.,146,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zillertalbahn/
cierny-hron-forest-railway,Čierny Hron Forest Railway,Hronec,Dobroč,scenic,0-8-0T steam locomotive · Rába diesel railcar,Čiernohronská železnica,17,15,≈ 1 h 10 min,1909,,SK,Slovakia,One of Europe’s last steam-worked forestry railways — its branch to Dobroč runs straight through the middle of a village football pitch.,194,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cierny-hron-forest-railway/
strba-strbske-pleso-rack-railway,Štrba–Štrbské Pleso Rack Railway,Štrba,Štrbské Pleso,scenic,Stadler GTW 2/6 Class 495.95 rack-and-adhesion EMU,Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko,5,30,≈ 15 min,1896,,SK,Slovakia,Slovakia’s only cog railway climbs 430 vertical metres up a 15% rack gradient into the High Tatras on hybrid EMUs delivered in 2021.,322,https://trainrouter.com/routes/strba-strbske-pleso-rack-railway/
trez-trencianska-tepla-trencianske-teplice,Trenčín Electric Railway (TREŽ),Trenčianska Teplá,Trenčianske Teplice,classic,Class 411.9 electric railcar (built 1951–52),"TREŽ, n.o.",5.5,40,≈ 15 min,1909,,SK,Slovakia,One of Europe’s oldest surviving interurban tramways — 1950s narrow-gauge electric railcars still shuttle up to a Habsburg-era spa town.,537,https://trainrouter.com/routes/trez-trencianska-tepla-trencianske-teplice/
skagensbanen-frederikshavn-skagen,Skagen Line (Skagensbanen),Frederikshavn,Skagen,classic,Siemens Desiro DMU,Nordjyske Jernbaner,40,120,≈ 40 min,1890,,DK,Denmark,Runs to Denmark’s northernmost station through dune plantations to the sand-blown artists’ town where two seas meet at Grenen.,535,https://trainrouter.com/routes/skagensbanen-frederikshavn-skagen/
jokioinen-museum-railway,Jokioinen Museum Railway,Jokioinen,Humppila,scenic,Tubize 2-6-2T · Lovisa–Vesijärvi 2-8-0 steam locomotives,Jokioinen Museum Railway,14,30,≈ 40 min,1898,,FI,Finland,"The last surviving stretch of Finland’s once-extensive 750 mm network, kept running by volunteers with steam engines built in Belgium.",198,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jokioinen-museum-railway/
gulbene-aluksne-banitis,Gulbene–Alūksne Narrow Gauge Railway (Bānītis),Gulbene,Alūksne,scenic,TU10 diesel locomotive · vintage carriages,Gulbenes-Alūksnes bānītis,33,40,≈ 1 h 30 min,1903,,LV,Latvia,"The only regularly operating narrow-gauge passenger railway left in the Baltic states, rattling twice daily through Vidzeme’s forests.",178,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gulbene-aluksne-banitis/
siaurukas-anyksciai-rubikiai,Aukštaitija Narrow Gauge Railway (Siaurukas),Anykščiai,Rubikiai,scenic,TU2 diesel locomotive · vintage carriages,Aukštaitijos siaurasis geležinkelis,12,25,≈ 35 min,1899,,LT,Lithuania,"Weekend survivor of a 750 mm network that once ran 68 km to Panevėžys, now trundling summer tourists out to Rubikiai lake.",200,https://trainrouter.com/routes/siaurukas-anyksciai-rubikiai/
carpathian-tram-vyhoda,Carpathian Tram (Vyhoda Forest Railway),Vyhoda,Dubovyi Kut,scenic,TU8P / TU6D diesel locomotive · open carriages,Vyhoda State Forestry (Karpatskyi Tramvai),7,20,≈ 45 min,1890,,UA,Ukraine,"Ukraine’s last working forest railway, built in 1890 to haul Carpathian timber, now carries tourists up the Mizunka valley past waterfalls.",317,https://trainrouter.com/routes/carpathian-tram-vyhoda/
minsk-childrens-railway,Zaslonov Children’s Railway,Zaslonovo,Sosnovy Bor,scenic,TU2 / TU7 diesel locomotive · narrow-gauge coaches,Belarusian Railway (Minsk Children’s Railway),4.5,20,≈ 20 min,1955,,BY,Belarus,"A working 750 mm railway through Chelyuskintsy Park operated entirely by schoolchildren training as drivers, conductors and dispatchers.",384,https://trainrouter.com/routes/minsk-childrens-railway/
lillafured-forest-railway,Lillafüred Forest Railway,Miskolc,Garadna,scenic,Mk48 diesel locomotive · open-sided carriages,Lillafüredi Állami Erdei Vasút,14,20,≈ 45 min,1920,,HU,Hungary,"Narrow-gauge line through the Bükk mountains via two tunnels and two viaducts, opened for timber and now Hungary’s best-loved forest train.",312,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lillafured-forest-railway/
szilvasvarad-forest-railway,Szilvásvárad Forest Railway (Szalajka Valley),Szilvásvárad,Szalajka-Fátyolvízesés,scenic,Mk48 diesel locomotive · open-sided carriages,Egererdő Zrt.,5,20,≈ 20 min,1908,300000,HU,Hungary,"Hungary’s busiest narrow-gauge railway — a steep timber line up the Szalajka valley to a waterfall, now carrying 300,000-plus riders a year.",156,https://trainrouter.com/routes/szilvasvarad-forest-railway/
jhmd-jindrichuv-hradec-nova-bystrice,Jindřichův Hradec–Nová Bystřice Narrow Gauge,Jindřichův Hradec,Nová Bystřice,scenic,"Steam locomotives · M11 ""Tatra"" railbuses",Gepard Express (JHMD heritage line),32.9,50,≈ 1 h 10 min,1897,,CZ,Czechia,"South Bohemia’s narrow-gauge survivor, rescued by a new operator in 2026 after the original company’s 2022 bankruptcy nearly ended the line.",180,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jhmd-jindrichuv-hradec-nova-bystrice/
train-1900-fond-de-gras,Train 1900 (Fond-de-Gras Heritage Railway),Pétange,Fond-de-Gras,scenic,Steam & diesel locomotives (former Prince Henri Railway stock),AMTF (Association des Musées et Tourisme Ferroviaires),8,30,≈ 25 min,1874,,LU,Luxembourg,Vintage steam trains rattle through Luxembourg’s old iron-mining Minett region on track first laid in 1874 to move ore and miners.,204,https://trainrouter.com/routes/train-1900-fond-de-gras/
bieszczady-forest-railway,Bieszczady Forest Railway,Majdan,Balnica,scenic,Px48 steam locomotive · Lyd2 diesel locomotive,Bieszczadzka Kolejka Leśna Foundation,9,20,≈ 45 min,1898,168100,PL,Poland,"Poland’s highest narrow-gauge line, a former logging railway that now carries over 150,000 riders a year into the Bieszczady wilderness.",147,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bieszczady-forest-railway/
waterford-suir-valley-railway,Waterford & Suir Valley Railway,Kilmeaden,Bilberry,scenic,Hunslet diesel locomotive · open-sided carriages,Waterford & Suir Valley Railway,10,25,≈ 45 min,2003,,IE,Ireland,"Narrow-gauge trains follow the tidal River Suir on the trackbed of an 1878 mainline, running alongside the Waterford Greenway cycle path.",382,https://trainrouter.com/routes/waterford-suir-valley-railway/
sauschwanzlebahn,Sauschwänzlebahn (Wutach Valley Railway),Weizen,Blumberg,scenic,Class 52 / 93 steam locomotive · heritage diesel railcars,Sauschwänzlebahn e.V.,26.5,50,≈ 1 h 15 min,1890,,DE,Germany,"Germany’s only spiral railway tunnel — a 1,700 m loop at Stockhalde lets the line climb the Black Forest by circling back over itself.",183,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sauschwanzlebahn/
chemin-de-fer-baie-de-somme,Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme,Cayeux-sur-Mer,Le Crotoy,scenic,130T steam locomotive (Cail · Haine-Saint-Pierre) · Belle Époque carriages,Association du Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme,28,25,≈ 1 h 30 min,1887,,FR,France,"Belle-Époque steam trains skirt the Somme estuary’s tidal salt marshes, with locomotives running round their own train at each terminus.",181,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chemin-de-fer-baie-de-somme/
chemin-de-fer-du-bocq,Chemin de Fer du Bocq,Ciney,Yvoir,scenic,Vintage SNCB railcar · heritage diesel locomotives,Patrimoine Ferroviaire et Tourisme,21,40,≈ 1 h 15 min,1907,,BE,Belgium,Three tunnels and five stone viaducts pack into the Bocq valley on one of Belgium’s most dramatically engineered branch lines.,188,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chemin-de-fer-du-bocq/
hoorn-medemblik-stoomtram,Museumstoomtram Hoorn–Medemblik,Hoorn,Medemblik,scenic,Preserved steam locomotives (SHM fleet) · vintage carriages,Museumstoomtram Hoorn–Medemblik,20,40,≈ 1 h 15 min,1887,,NL,Netherlands,A steam tram dating from 1887 still crosses North Holland’s polders and tulip fields between Hoorn and the old Zuiderzee port of Medemblik.,191,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hoorn-medemblik-stoomtram/
talyllyn-railway,Talyllyn Railway,Tywyn,Nant Gwernol,scenic,"Preserved 0-4-0T / 0-4-2T steam locomotives (Talyllyn, Dolgoch, Edward Thomas)",Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society,11.7,25,≈ 1 h,1866,,GB,United Kingdom,"The world’s first railway saved by volunteers, in 1951 — its Victorian steam engines still cross Dolgoch Viaduct into the Fathew valley.",203,https://trainrouter.com/routes/talyllyn-railway/
romney-hythe-dymchurch-railway,"Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway",Hythe,Dungeness,scenic,4-6-2 one-third-scale steam locomotives,"Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway",22,40,≈ 1 h,1927,,GB,United Kingdom,"Marketed as the world’s smallest public railway, its steam expresses still get local schoolchildren to class along Romney Marsh.",187,https://trainrouter.com/routes/romney-hythe-dymchurch-railway/
selketalbahn,Selketalbahn (Harz Narrow Gauge),Gernrode,Hasselfelde,scenic,Class 99.7 Mallet steam locomotive · heritage coaches,Harzer Schmalspurbahnen,35,30,≈ 1 h 45 min,1887,,DE,Germany,"Metre-gauge Mallet steam locomotives still double-head trains out of Alexisbad on this Harz valley line, opened for timber and ore in 1887.",176,https://trainrouter.com/routes/selketalbahn/
arlberg-railway,Arlberg Railway,Innsbruck,Bludenz,scenic,ÖBB Railjet,ÖBB,137,140,1 h 45 min,1884,,AT,Austria,"Austria’s only east–west mountain mainline, vaulting the Trisanna gorge beside Wiesberg Castle before a 1,310 m summit in the 10.2 km Arlberg tunnel.",276,https://trainrouter.com/routes/arlberg-railway/
al-andalus,Al Ándalus,Seville,Madrid,night,Belle Époque sleeping cars (1928–1930),Renfe Trenes Turísticos de Lujo,1300,100,7 days,1985,,ES,Spain,A rolling Belle Époque palace whose 1929 sleeping cars once carried the British court from Calais to the Riviera — now easing from Seville to Madrid in seven days.,397,https://trainrouter.com/routes/al-andalus/
royal-scotsman,Belmond Royal Scotsman,Edinburgh,Edinburgh,night,Edwardian-style Pullman rake,Belmond,1000,100,5 days,1985,,GB,United Kingdom,Just 40 guests aboard mahogany-panelled Pullmans that cross the Forth Bridge outbound and stable each night in Highland sidings.,31,https://trainrouter.com/routes/royal-scotsman/
tgv-paris-barcelona,TGV inOui,Paris,Barcelona,high-speed,TGV Euroduplex,SNCF Voyageurs,1073,320,6 h 39 min,2013,,FR|ES,France|Spain,"Paris to Barcelona in 6 h 39 min, diving under the Pyrenees through the 8.3 km Perthus tunnel at the Spanish border.",546,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-barcelona/
berlin-warszawa-express,Berlin-Warszawa-Express,Berlin,Warsaw,classic,EuroCity (EU44 Husarz),PKP Intercity & DB,570,160,5 h 25 min,2002,,DE|PL,Germany|Poland,"Six EuroCitys a day across the North European Plain, with the cult WARS dining car serving pierogi between the Oder and the Vistula.",654,https://trainrouter.com/routes/berlin-warszawa-express/
brenner-railway,Brenner Railway,Innsbruck,Verona,classic,DB-ÖBB EuroCity Railjet,ÖBB & DB,275,200,3 h 30 min,1867,,AT|IT,Austria|Italy,"The first railway over the main Alpine crest (1867) still tops the open pass at 1,371 m — no summit tunnel, just a station straddling the border.",480,https://trainrouter.com/routes/brenner-railway/
cremallera-de-nuria,Cremallera de Núria,Ribes de Freser,Núria,scenic,Stadler GTW rack railcar,FGC,12.5,40,40 min,1931,,ES,Spain,"The only way to roadless Núria: Abt rack rails climbing 1,000 vertical metres through the Freser gorges to a sanctuary at 1,964 m.",102,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cremallera-de-nuria/
lotschberger,Lötschberger,Bern,Brig,scenic,BLS RABe 535 Lötschberger,BLS,110,160,1 h 55 min,1913,,CH,Switzerland,"The 1913 mountain line the base tunnel made optional — Felsenburg spirals, a 14.6 km summit tunnel, then the Bietschtal bridge on a ledge above the Rhône.",283,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lotschberger/
icn-rome-palermo,Intercity Notte Rome–Palermo,Rome,Palermo,night,Intercity Notte sleeper,Trenitalia,920,160,12 h 30 min,1899,,IT,Italy,Europe’s last train on a ship: the sleeper is split at Villa San Giovanni and floated across the Strait of Messina before breakfast.,328,https://trainrouter.com/routes/icn-rome-palermo/
frecciarossa-paris-milan,Frecciarossa Paris–Milan,Paris,Milan,high-speed,Frecciarossa 1000 (ETR 400),Trenitalia France,900,300,6 h 50 min,2021,,FR|IT,France|Italy,"Italy’s 300 km/h flagship on French rails, threading the 13.7 km Fréjus tunnel of 1871 — back since April 2025 after a 19-month landslide closure.",549,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-paris-milan/
tauern-railway,Tauern Railway,Salzburg,Villach,scenic,ÖBB Railjet / EuroCity,ÖBB,183,160,2 h 40 min,1909,,AT,Austria,"Franz Joseph’s 1909 crossing of the Hohe Tauern — stone viaducts up the Gastein spa valley to an 8.4 km tunnel at 1,226 m.",258,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tauern-railway/
isle-of-man-steam-railway,Isle of Man Steam Railway,Douglas,Port Erin,scenic,Beyer Peacock 2-4-0T steam,Isle of Man Transport,25,40,1 h 0 min,1874,,IM,Isle of Man,Victorian Beyer Peacock tanks of 1874 still haul their original carriages down 25 km of 3 ft gauge to the island’s southern tip.,184,https://trainrouter.com/routes/isle-of-man-steam-railway/
alaska-coastal-classic,Coastal Classic,Anchorage,Seward,scenic,GoldStar dome & Adventure Class cars,Alaska Railroad,183,95,4 h 35 min,1923,,US,United States,"Hugs the bore-tide flats of Turnagain Arm, then climbs past Spencer Glacier into country no road reaches.",257,https://trainrouter.com/routes/alaska-coastal-classic/
hiram-bingham,Belmond Hiram Bingham,Cusco (Poroy),Machu Picchu,scenic,Belmond Pullman coaches,Belmond / PeruRail,96,50,3 h 20 min,2003,,PE,Peru,"Belmond’s navy-and-gold Pullman to Machu Picchu, with brunch, a pisco bar and citadel entry folded into the fare since 2003.",53,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hiram-bingham/
train-de-charlevoix,Train de Charlevoix,Québec City,La Malbaie,scenic,DB 628 diesel railcars,Réseau Charlevoix,140,70,4 h 30 min,1919,40000,CA,Canada,"Runs 140 km wedged between Laurentian cliffs and the St. Lawrence, at times just metres from the tide.",160,https://trainrouter.com/routes/train-de-charlevoix/
via-sudbury-white-river,Sudbury–White River,Sudbury,White River,classic,Budd RDC railcars,VIA Rail,484,100,9 h,1885,,CA,Canada,Canada’s last Budd RDC mainline train will flag-stop anywhere along 484 km of roadless Canadian Shield.,450,https://trainrouter.com/routes/via-sudbury-white-river/
winter-park-express,Winter Park Express,Denver,Winter Park,scenic,Superliner bi-level cars,Amtrak,90,95,2 h 11 min,2017,,US,United States,"Amtrak’s revived ski train climbs more than 1,100 m through 28 tunnels and spills skiers out steps from Winter Park’s lifts.",370,https://trainrouter.com/routes/winter-park-express/
canyon-spirit,Canyon Spirit,Denver,Moab,scenic,SilverLeaf glass-dome coaches,Canyon Spirit (Armstrong Collective),570,96,2 days,2021,,US,United States,"Crosses the Continental Divide inside the 10 km Moffat Tunnel, then follows the Colorado River two dome-car days to Moab’s red rock.",346,https://trainrouter.com/routes/canyon-spirit/
strasburg-rail-road,Strasburg Rail Road,Strasburg,Paradise,scenic,"Baldwin & CN steam, wooden coaches",Strasburg Rail Road,7,24,25 min,1832,,US,United States,"Chartered in 1832, America’s oldest continuously operating railroad still steams through Lancaster County’s Amish farmland.",206,https://trainrouter.com/routes/strasburg-rail-road/
conway-scenic-mountaineer,Mountaineer,North Conway,Crawford Notch,scenic,"EMD GP38 diesels, dome & open cars",Conway Scenic Railroad,38,40,2 h,1875,,US,United States,"Follows the 1875 Maine Central grade up Crawford Notch, creeping across the curved Frankenstein Trestle high above the Saco.",299,https://trainrouter.com/routes/conway-scenic-mountaineer/
royal-gorge-route,Royal Gorge Route,Cañon City,Parkdale,scenic,"F40PH diesels, Vista Domes",Royal Gorge Route Railroad,19,25,1 h,1879,,US,United States,"Threads the canyon won in the 1879 “Royal Gorge War”, the Arkansas River alongside and a suspension bridge 291 m overhead.",132,https://trainrouter.com/routes/royal-gorge-route/
st-kitts-scenic-railway,St. Kitts Scenic Railway,Basseterre,La Vallee,scenic,double-deck open-top railcars,St. Kitts Scenic Railway,29,30,2 h 15 min,1926,,KN,St Kitts and Nevis,"The last railway of the West Indies loops the island on a 1912–26 sugar-cane line, ridden in double-deck open-top cars.",302,https://trainrouter.com/routes/st-kitts-scenic-railway/
maria-fumaca-tiradentes,Maria Fumaça de Tiradentes,São João del-Rei,Tiradentes,scenic,"19th-century Baldwin steam, 762 mm gauge",VLI,12,30,35 min,1881,,BR,Brazil,Baldwin steam locomotives have worked this 76 cm-gauge line ever since Emperor Pedro II opened it in 1881.,201,https://trainrouter.com/routes/maria-fumaca-tiradentes/
trem-do-vinho,Trem do Vinho,Bento Gonçalves,Carlos Barbosa,scenic,1941 Maria Fumaça steam train,Giordani Turismo,23,25,1 h 30 min,1919,,BR,Brazil,A 1941 steam engine ambles 23 km through the Serra Gaúcha wine country to a soundtrack of tarantellas and popping corks.,186,https://trainrouter.com/routes/trem-do-vinho/
blue-mountains-line,Blue Mountains Line,Sydney,Lithgow,scenic,Mariyung (D set) double-deck EMU,NSW TrainLink,156,130,2 h 45 min,1869,,AU,Australia,"Climbs from near sea level to 1,017 m at Katoomba through a UNESCO-listed maze of sandstone cliffs and eucalypt canyons.",268,https://trainrouter.com/routes/blue-mountains-line/
savannahlander,Savannahlander,Cairns,Forsayth,scenic,1963 “Silver Bullet” 2000-class railmotors,Cairns Kuranda Steam,424,60,36 h,1910,,AU,Australia,Sixty-year-old railmotors take two unhurried days to cover 424 km from coastal rainforest to the 1910 gold-rush railhead at Forsayth.,167,https://trainrouter.com/routes/savannahlander/
tilt-train-brisbane-rockhampton,Electric Tilt Train,Brisbane,Rockhampton,classic,Electric Tilt Train (City of Rockhampton),Queensland Rail Travel,639,160,8 h 5 min,1998,,AU,Australia,The world’s fastest narrow-gauge train — it set Australia’s rail speed record of 210 km/h in 1999 and still tilts through cane country at 160 km/h.,647,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tilt-train-brisbane-rockhampton/
canberra-xplorer,Canberra Xplorer,Sydney,Canberra,classic,Xplorer DMU,NSW TrainLink,321,145,4 h 10 min,1914,,AU,Australia,The only passenger train to Australia’s capital — three Xplorer railcars a day take the 1914 branch past the wind farms above Lake George.,470,https://trainrouter.com/routes/canberra-xplorer/
cockle-train,Cockle Train,Goolwa,Victor Harbor,scenic,Rx-class steam & Redhen railcars,SteamRanger Heritage Railway,16,50,30 min,1854,,AU,Australia,"Rides Australia’s oldest steel-railed public route, opened in 1854 with horse haulage to link Murray riverboats to the sea.",196,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cockle-train/
te-huia,Te Huia,Hamilton,Auckland,classic,DF-class diesel + refurbished SR carriages,KiwiRail / Waikato Regional Council,138,100,2 h 35 min,2021,86000,NZ,New Zealand,Restored intercity rail between Waikato and Auckland in 2021 after a 20-year gap — and went seven-days-a-week in 2025.,237,https://trainrouter.com/routes/te-huia/
cape-town-southern-line,Southern Line,Cape Town,Simon’s Town,scenic,X’Trapolis Mega EMU,Metrorail Western Cape (PRASA),36,90,1 h 20 min,1890,,ZA,South Africa,From Muizenberg the rails run on a False Bay sea wall so close to the surf that winter swells spray the carriage windows at Kalk Bay.,138,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cape-town-southern-line/
nanyuki-safari-train,Nanyuki Safari Train,Nairobi,Nanyuki,scenic,Metre-gauge diesel with vintage coaches,Kenya Railways,177,65,7 h 30 min,1930,,KE,Kenya,"Crosses the equator on its final approach to Nanyuki, where Mount Kenya’s 5,199 m massif fills the carriage windows.",168,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nanyuki-safari-train/
cfl-luanda-malanje,Luanda–Malanje Express,Luanda,Malanje,classic,CFL long-distance express,Caminho de Ferro de Luanda (CFL),424,90,11 h,1909,,AO,Angola,"Angola’s oldest railway, silenced for decades by civil war, reopened end-to-end in 2011 after a Chinese-led rebuild of all 424 km.",458,https://trainrouter.com/routes/cfl-luanda-malanje/
van-golu-ekspresi,Van Gölü Ekspresi,Ankara,Tatvan,night,TVS2000 sleeper & pullman cars,TCDD Taşımacılık,1267,120,25 h 50 min,1964,,TR,Türkiye,"Ends 1,267 km from Ankara at a ferry slip on Lake Van, where wagons bound for Iran are floated across Turkey’s largest lake.",240,https://trainrouter.com/routes/van-golu-ekspresi/
jezreel-valley-railway,HaEmek (Jezreel Valley) Line,Haifa,Beit She’an,classic,Double-deck push–pull intercity,Israel Railways,60,160,50 min,2016,,IL,Israel,"Rebuilt on the 1905 Ottoman Hejaz alignment, it ends at Beit She’an — about 120 m below sea level, among the world’s lowest stations.",736,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jezreel-valley-railway/
tehran-shiraz-night,Tehran–Shiraz Night Train,Tehran,Shiraz,night,Raja four-berth sleepers,Raja Rail Transportation,935,160,14 h 40 min,2009,,IR,Iran,"Completed only in 2009, the overnight run leaves Tehran at dusk and descends at dawn past Marvdasht, the plain of Persepolis, into Shiraz.",415,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tehran-shiraz-night/
north-borneo-railway,North Borneo Railway,Kota Kinabalu,Papar,scenic,"Wood-fired 1954 Vulcan 2-6-2 steam locomotive, colonial-green carriages",Sutera Harbour & Sabah State Railway,35,40,1 h 45 min,2000,,MY,Malaysia,A 1954 Vulcan Foundry engine burning jungle firewood retraces the 1896 British North Borneo line — the only passenger railway corridor on Borneo.,231,https://trainrouter.com/routes/north-borneo-railway/
araku-vistadome,Araku Vistadome,Visakhapatnam,Araku Valley,scenic,Glass-roofed Vistadome coach on the Visakhapatnam–Kirandul train,Indian Railways (East Coast Railway),115,60,4 h 10 min,2017,,IN,India,"India’s first Vistadome coach (2017) climbs the Eastern Ghats to Shimiliguda, long the country’s highest broad-gauge station at 996 m.",369,https://trainrouter.com/routes/araku-vistadome/
sethu-express,Sethu Express (Boat Mail),Chennai,Rameswaram,night,ICF sleeper rake behind WAP-4 electric,Indian Railways (Southern Railway),603,110,9 h 40 min,1914,,IN,India,"Heir to the 1914 Boat Mail that fed the Ceylon ferry, it now reaches Rameswaram island over India’s first vertical-lift sea bridge, opened 2025.",338,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sethu-express/
seto-ohashi-marine-liner,Marine Liner,Okayama,Takamatsu,classic,JR 5000 series + 223-5000 series EMU with double-deck panorama car,JR West & JR Shikoku,72,130,55 min,1988,,JP,Japan,"Every half hour it rides the lower deck of the 13.1 km Great Seto Bridge — the Seto Inland Sea’s only rail crossing, strung across five islands since 1988.",733,https://trainrouter.com/routes/seto-ohashi-marine-liner/
sanriku-rias-line,Sanriku Railway Rias Line,Sakari,Kuji,scenic,Sanriku 36-700 series railcars,Sanriku Railway,163,90,4 h 25 min,1984,,JP,Japan,"Japan’s longest third-sector railway threads 163 km of tsunami-rebuilt coast; the final gap closed in 2019, eight years after the 2011 wave.",362,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sanriku-rias-line/
tsugaru-stove-train,Tsugaru Stove Train,Tsugaru-Goshogawara,Tsugaru-Nakasato,scenic,"1948 Ohafu 33 coaches with coal daruma stoves, DD350 diesel",Tsugaru Railway,21,70,45 min,1930,,JP,Japan,"Aboard Japan’s northernmost private railway, attendants grill squid on pot-belly coal stoves while blizzards bury the Tsugaru plain outside.",307,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tsugaru-stove-train/
hue-danang-heritage-train,Hue–Da Nang Heritage Train,Hue,Da Nang,scenic,Restyled vintage coaches with saloon car (HD1–HD4),Vietnam Railways (DSVN),103,80,2 h 50 min,2024,,VN,Vietnam,"Launched in 2024 on the 1906 colonial mainline, it eases over the Hai Van Pass with clouds above and fishing fleets directly below the rails.",130,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hue-danang-heritage-train/
taksaka-jakarta-yogyakarta,Taksaka,Jakarta,Yogyakarta,classic,KAI New Generation stainless-steel executive & luxury coaches,Kereta Api Indonesia,512,120,6 h 5 min,1999,,ID,Indonesia,"Java’s flagship day train links the capital and the sultan’s city in six hours, skirting volcanoes beyond Cirebon and Purwokerto.",347,https://trainrouter.com/routes/taksaka-jakarta-yogyakarta/
jiayang-steam-railway,Jiayang Steam Train,Shixi,Bagou,scenic,"C2-class 762 mm steam locomotive, wooden open-window coaches",Jiayang Group,20,20,1 h 15 min,1959,,CN,China,One of the world’s last everyday steam railways: C2 engines built for 1950s coal pits still haul villagers past rapeseed terraces for pocket change.,233,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jiayang-steam-railway/
jaffar-express,Jaffar Express,Quetta,Peshawar,classic,"AC sleeper, business & economy coaches",Pakistan Railways,1632,110,35 h 10 min,2003,,PK,Pakistan,"Pakistan’s longest through service tops the Bolan Pass at Kolpur (1,790 m), then follows the Indus corridor 1,632 km to the gate of the Khyber.",88,https://trainrouter.com/routes/jaffar-express/
phnom-penh-battambang,Royal Railway Northern Line,Phnom Penh,Battambang,classic,Veteran ex-Thai Railways diesel railcar,Royal Railway,273,60,6 h 50 min,1932,,KH,Cambodia,"Cambodia’s 1932 French rice line, silenced by war and revived in 2018, ambles past Tonle Sap paddies to Battambang’s art-deco station.",129,https://trainrouter.com/routes/phnom-penh-battambang/
eurostar-london-brussels,Eurostar,London,Brussels,high-speed,e320 · Class 374,Eurostar,373,300,1 h 53 min,1994,,GB|FR|BE,United Kingdom|France|Belgium,"The original Channel Tunnel service to the EU capital — St Pancras to Bruxelles-Midi in under two hours, city centre to city centre.",128,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eurostar-london-brussels/
eurostar-london-amsterdam,Eurostar,London,Amsterdam,high-speed,e320 · Class 374,Eurostar,540,300,3 h 55 min,2018,,GB|FR|BE|NL,United Kingdom|France|Belgium|Netherlands,"A single train from St Pancras to Amsterdam Centraal since 2018 — under the Channel, across Flanders and the Dutch polders in about four hours.",125,https://trainrouter.com/routes/eurostar-london-amsterdam/
tgv-paris-frankfurt,TGV / ICE,Paris,Frankfurt,high-speed,TGV Euroduplex · ICE 3,SNCF · Deutsche Bahn,573,320,3 h 49 min,2007,,FR|DE,France|Germany,"A Franco-German alliance since 2007: 320 km/h on the LGV Est to Lorraine, then the Saar and Rhine-Main into Frankfurt, TGV and ICE sharing the run.",573,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tgv-paris-frankfurt/
alvia-madrid-cadiz,Alvia,Madrid,Cádiz,high-speed,Renfe S-130 gauge-changing Talgo,Renfe,664,250,4 h 25 min,1992,,ES,Spain,"Off the 1992 Madrid–Seville high-speed spine, a gauge-changing Talgo carries on through sherry country to the Atlantic at Cádiz.",560,https://trainrouter.com/routes/alvia-madrid-cadiz/
amtrak-borealis,Borealis,Chicago,Saint Paul,classic,"Amfleet coaches, Siemens Charger diesel",Amtrak,668,127,7 h 30 min,2024,,US,United States,Amtrak’s May 2024 daytime run up the Mississippi from Chicago through Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s river bluffs to the Twin Cities.,135,https://trainrouter.com/routes/amtrak-borealis/
kintetsu-aoniyoshi,Aoniyoshi,Osaka,Kyoto,classic,Kintetsu 19200 series sightseeing limited express,Kintetsu Railway,66,110,1 h 20 min,2022,,JP,Japan,"A 2022 salon train styled on Nara’s Tenpyō court art, linking Osaka, the old capital Nara and Kyoto with a library bar and a sweets counter.",734,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kintetsu-aoniyoshi/
nightjet-paris-berlin,Nightjet,Paris,Berlin,night,"ÖBB Nightjet sleepers, couchettes & seats",ÖBB · SNCF · DB,1104,200,13 h 30 min,2023,,FR|DE,France|Germany,"Relaunched in December 2023 after nine years dark: leave the Gare de l’Est after dinner, cross the Rhine in the night, wake in Berlin.",81,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nightjet-paris-berlin/
snalltaget-stockholm-berlin,Snälltåget,Stockholm,Berlin,night,Refurbished couchette & sleeping cars,Snälltåget,1290,200,16 h 30 min,2012,,SE|DK|DE,Sweden|Denmark|Germany,"A private summer sleeper down through Sweden, over the Öresund bridge past Copenhagen and across Denmark to Berlin — outlasting the state night trains.",399,https://trainrouter.com/routes/snalltaget-stockholm-berlin/
transnamib-desert-express,Desert Express,Windhoek,Swakopmund,scenic,"TransNamib lounge & sleeper cars, GE diesels",TransNamib,356,90,19 h,1998,,NA,Namibia,"A slow luxury run from the highland capital down the escarpment to the Atlantic, with dune walks as the Namib shifts from gold to coastal fog.",350,https://trainrouter.com/routes/transnamib-desert-express/
wuppertal-schwebebahn,Wuppertal Schwebebahn,Oberbarmen,Vohwinkel,scenic,Generation 15 suspended electric units,WSW mobil,13,60,30 min,1901,25000000,DE,Germany,"The world’s oldest electric suspension railway, hanging from a steel frame above the Wupper river since 1901 — a monorail that never stopped commuting.",44,https://trainrouter.com/routes/wuppertal-schwebebahn/
diakofto-kalavryta,Odontotos Rack Railway,Diakofto,Kalavryta,scenic,Stadler metre-gauge rack railcars,Hellenic Train,22,40,1 h 5 min,1896,,GR,Greece,"An 1896 rack line claws 700 m up the sheer Vouraikos gorge, threading tunnels and clinging to ledges above the torrent to the town of Kalavryta.",109,https://trainrouter.com/routes/diakofto-kalavryta/
voralpen-express,Voralpen-Express,St. Gallen,Lucerne,scenic,Stadler SOB “Traverso” Flirt,Südostbahn,126,120,2 h 15 min,1992,,CH,Switzerland,"An hourly cross-country ride through the pre-Alps — the Wattwil moorland, the Rapperswil lake dam and the Rothenthurm high bog — linking two lake cities.",144,https://trainrouter.com/routes/voralpen-express/
montserrat-rack-railway,Cremallera de Montserrat,Monistrol de Montserrat,Montserrat,scenic,GTW rack-and-adhesion railcars,FGC,5,25,20 min,1892,,ES,Spain,A rack railway climbing the serrated massif to the Benedictine monastery at 720 m — the pilgrims’ way to Catalonia’s black Madonna since 1892.,321,https://trainrouter.com/routes/montserrat-rack-railway/
sl-yamaguchi,SL Yamaguchi,Shin-Yamaguchi,Tsuwano,scenic,D51 steam with retro Series 35 4000 coaches,JR West,63,65,2 h,1979,,JP,Japan,"A pacific steam locomotive has hauled this special up the Yamaguchi line to the little castle town of Tsuwano, the “Kyoto of San-in”, since 1979.",114,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sl-yamaguchi/
fairy-queen-delhi-alwar,Fairy Queen Express,Delhi,Alwar,scenic,"1855 Fairy Queen steam locomotive, heritage saloon",Indian Railways,143,40,5 h,1997,,IN,India,"Hauled by the 1855 Fairy Queen, the world’s oldest working steam locomotive, on a heritage run from Delhi out to the tiger country around Alwar.",58,https://trainrouter.com/routes/fairy-queen-delhi-alwar/
chemin-de-fer-de-la-mure,Chemin de fer de La Mure,La Mure,Monteynard,scenic,Restored electric heritage railcars,Edeis,15,30,1 h 30 min,1888,,FR,France,"Reopened in 2021, this cliffside metre-gauge line hangs on ledges and viaducts high above the turquoise Monteynard reservoir in the Isère.",145,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chemin-de-fer-de-la-mure/
petit-train-de-la-rhune,Petit Train de la Rhune,Col de Saint-Ignace,La Rhune,scenic,1924 wooden rack railcars,Epsa,4,9,35 min,1924,,FR,France,"A 1924 wooden cog train grinds up to the 905 m Basque summit of La Rhune — pottok ponies and griffon vultures alongside, the Bay of Biscay below.",143,https://trainrouter.com/routes/petit-train-de-la-rhune/
beijing-tianjin-intercity,Beijing–Tianjin Intercity,Beijing,Tianjin,high-speed,CR400AF Fuxing,China Railway,120,350,30 min,2008,30000000,CN,China,"China’s first high-speed line, opened for the 2008 Olympics — 350 km/h across the North China Plain, capital to port city in half an hour.",208,https://trainrouter.com/routes/beijing-tianjin-intercity/
shanghai-chengdu-hsr,Shanghai–Chengdu HSR,Shanghai,Chengdu,high-speed,CR400 & CRH380 Fuxing,China Railway,1920,350,11 h,2014,,CN,China,"The great east–west artery, threading Nanjing, Wuhan and the Three Gorges country to reach Sichuan’s capital from the coast in a single day.",540,https://trainrouter.com/routes/shanghai-chengdu-hsr/
hangzhou-huangshan-hsr,Hangzhou–Huangshan HSR,Hangzhou,Huangshan,high-speed,CRH380D,China Railway,265,250,1 h 30 min,2018,,CN,China,"Dubbed China’s most beautiful high-speed line, it slips through tea hills and water towns from West Lake to the granite of Yellow Mountain.",617,https://trainrouter.com/routes/hangzhou-huangshan-hsr/
guiyang-chongqing-hsr,Guiyang–Chongqing HSR,Guiyang,Chongqing,high-speed,CRH380A,China Railway,345,250,2 h,2018,,CN,China,"Almost entirely bridge and tunnel, this 2018 line vaults the karst gorges of Guizhou to join two of the mountain south-west’s biggest cities.",606,https://trainrouter.com/routes/guiyang-chongqing-hsr/
lanzhou-chongqing-railway,Lanzhou–Chongqing Railway,Lanzhou,Chongqing,classic,CR200J Fuxing & sleeper coaches,China Railway,886,160,6 h 30 min,2017,,CN,China,Twenty years in the building through the folded Qinling ranges — hundreds of tunnels that finally gave Gansu a fast way down to the Yangtze.,638,https://trainrouter.com/routes/lanzhou-chongqing-railway/
sarajevo-banja-luka,Talgo Sarajevo–Banja Luka,Sarajevo,Banja Luka,classic,Talgo 8 tilting trainset,ŽFBH · ŽRS,235,120,5 h,2007,,BA,Bosnia and Herzegovina,"A Spanish Talgo leans through the Bosna gorge between Bosnia’s two capitals, past Zenica’s steelworks and down the green Vrbas valley.",706,https://trainrouter.com/routes/sarajevo-banja-luka/
athens-kalambaka-meteora,Athens–Kalambaka,Athens,Kalambaka,scenic,Stadler & MAN intercity railcars,Hellenic Train,375,120,4 h 20 min,1935,,GR,Greece,"The line to the monasteries in the sky — up from Athens across the Thessalian plain to Kalambaka, beneath the sandstone pillars of Meteora.",249,https://trainrouter.com/routes/athens-kalambaka-meteora/
shosholoza-johannesburg-capetown,Shosholoza Meyl Trans-Karoo,Johannesburg,Cape Town,classic,Class 6E electric & diesel with sleeper cars,Shosholoza Meyl (PRASA),1530,90,27 h,1892,,ZA,South Africa,The classic Trans-Karoo run — a night and a day across the semi-desert heart of South Africa from the Highveld gold city down to Table Bay.,98,https://trainrouter.com/routes/shosholoza-johannesburg-capetown/
botswana-br-express,BR Express,Gaborone,Francistown,night,Botswana Railways sleeper & sitter coaches,Botswana Railways,500,90,9 h,2016,,BW,Botswana,"Botswana’s overnight sleeper, reborn in 2016, trundles up the eastern rim of the Kalahari between Gaborone and the mining town of Francistown.",431,https://trainrouter.com/routes/botswana-br-express/
tanzania-central-dar-kigoma,Central Line,Dar es Salaam,Kigoma,classic,"TRC metre-gauge coaches, diesel-hauled",Tanzania Railways (TRC),1254,60,38 h,1914,,TZ,Tanzania,"The German-built Central Line of 1914, a metre-gauge marathon from the Indian Ocean across the plateau to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika.",437,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tanzania-central-dar-kigoma/
baku-tbilisi-kars,Baku–Tbilisi–Kars,Baku,Kars,classic,Stadler sleeper cars,ADY · Georgian Railway · TCDD,826,100,18 h,2017,,AZ|GE|TR,Azerbaijan|Georgia|Türkiye,"The Silk Road revived: opened in 2017, it closes the last gap from the Caspian across the Caucasus to Turkey — a rail bridge between Asia and Europe.",72,https://trainrouter.com/routes/baku-tbilisi-kars/
grand-trunk-express-delhi-chennai,Grand Trunk Express,Delhi,Chennai,classic,"LHB sleeper & AC coaches, WAP-7 electric",Indian Railways,2180,110,33 h,1929,,IN,India,"Running since 1929, the “GT” hauls down the spine of India through Bhopal and Nagpur to Chennai — 2,180 km in a day and a half.",139,https://trainrouter.com/routes/grand-trunk-express-delhi-chennai/
mandalay-lashio-gokteik,Mandalay–Lashio,Mandalay,Lashio,scenic,Myanmar Railways diesel with upper-class coaches,Myanmar Railways,280,40,12 h,1900,,MM,Myanmar,The Shan hill line crawls up from Mandalay to inch across the Gokteik viaduct — a 1900 American-built steel trestle 100 m above the gorge.,66,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mandalay-lashio-gokteik/
gotthard-panorama-express,Gotthard Panorama Express,Lucerne,Lugano,scenic,SBB panorama coaches & lake paddle steamer,SBB,180,100,5 h 30 min,1882,,CH,Switzerland,"A paddle steamer up Lake Lucerne, then the 1882 Gotthard mountain line’s spiral tunnels and the Wassen church glimpsed three times on the climb south.",67,https://trainrouter.com/routes/gotthard-panorama-express/
ave-madrid-oviedo,AVE Madrid–Oviedo,Madrid,Oviedo,high-speed,Renfe S-106 Avril,Renfe,480,300,3 h,2023,,ES,Spain,"The 2023 Variante de Pajares pierced the Cantabrian wall with a 25 km base tunnel, cutting Asturias’ link to Madrid to about three hours.",585,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-oviedo/
alvia-madrid-badajoz,Alvia Madrid–Badajoz,Madrid,Badajoz,high-speed,Renfe S-730 dual-mode Talgo,Renfe,440,200,4 h,2022,,ES,Spain,"High speed reached long-isolated Extremadura in 2022, sweeping past the Roman city of Mérida to the Portuguese border at Badajoz.",589,https://trainrouter.com/routes/alvia-madrid-badajoz/
tren-de-la-muerte-santa-cruz-quijarro,Tren de la Muerte,Santa Cruz,Puerto Quijarro,classic,Ferroviaria Oriental railcars & coaches,Ferroviaria Oriental,650,60,16 h,1955,,BO,Bolivia,Bolivia’s notorious “Death Train” rattles east from Santa Cruz through Jesuit mission country and the Chiquitano dry forest to the Brazilian frontier.,136,https://trainrouter.com/routes/tren-de-la-muerte-santa-cruz-quijarro/
bosphorus-express-istanbul-sofia,Bosfor Express,Istanbul,Sofia,night,TCDD & BDŽ sleeping cars,TCDD · BDŽ,585,100,12 h,1888,,TR|BG,Türkiye|Bulgaria,"The overnight heir to the Orient Express, crossing the Thracian plain from Istanbul over the Bulgarian border to Sofia as the berths are made up.",140,https://trainrouter.com/routes/bosphorus-express-istanbul-sofia/
albula-railway,Albula Railway,Chur,St. Moritz,scenic,RhB Allegra & panorama cars,Rhaetian Railway (RhB),62,90,2 h,1903,,CH,Switzerland,The UNESCO Albula line spirals through helical tunnels and sweeps over the six-arch Landwasser Viaduct — a curved stone bridge running straight into a cliff — on its climb to St. Moritz.,29,https://trainrouter.com/routes/albula-railway/
montenvers-chamonix-mer-de-glace,Montenvers Railway,Chamonix,Montenvers,scenic,Rack railcars,Compagnie du Mont-Blanc,5,20,20 min,1908,,FR,France,"A rack railway since 1908, climbing from Chamonix to a balcony above the Mer de Glace — France’s largest glacier — beneath the Drus and the Grandes Jorasses.",64,https://trainrouter.com/routes/montenvers-chamonix-mer-de-glace/
mont-blanc-tramway,Mont-Blanc Tramway,Saint-Gervais,Nid d’Aigle,scenic,Rack railcars,Compagnie du Mont-Blanc,12,20,1 h 10 min,1913,,FR,France,"France’s highest railway grinds up to the Nid d’Aigle at 2,372 m on the flank of Mont Blanc — the start of the climbers’ route to the summit.",111,https://trainrouter.com/routes/mont-blanc-tramway/
schynige-platte-bahn,Schynige Platte Railway,Wilderswil,Schynige Platte,scenic,1914 electric rack railcars,Jungfrau Railways,7,12,52 min,1893,,CH,Switzerland,"Vintage 1914 cars grind up an Abt rack to a 2,000 m ridge with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau lined up across the valley — and an alpine garden at the top.",96,https://trainrouter.com/routes/schynige-platte-bahn/
ferrovia-genova-casella,Genoa–Casella Railway,Genoa,Casella,scenic,Narrow-gauge electric railcars,AMT Genova,25,40,55 min,1929,,IT,Italy,"A metre-gauge mountain tram that climbs straight out of central Genoa over three Apennine valleys to the village of Casella, sea views at its back.",305,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ferrovia-genova-casella/
nevada-northern-ely,Nevada Northern Railway,Ely,Ruth,scenic,"1910 Baldwin & Alco steam, wooden coaches",Nevada Northern Railway Museum,22,40,1 h 30 min,1906,,US,United States,The best-preserved steam-era short line in America — the “Ghost Train of Old Ely” still runs its 1910 locomotives out of a National Historic Landmark copper-country yard.,108,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nevada-northern-ely/
estrada-de-ferro-campos-do-jordao,Campos do Jordão Railway,Pindamonhangaba,Campos do Jordão,scenic,Historic electric railcars,EFCJ,47,40,4 h,1914,,BR,Brazil,"Brazil’s highest railway climbs the Serra da Mantiqueira to the mountain resort of Campos do Jordão at 1,743 m, a metre-gauge line electrified since the 1920s.",296,https://trainrouter.com/routes/estrada-de-ferro-campos-do-jordao/
zig-zag-railway,Zig Zag Railway,Clarence,Bottom Points,scenic,1950s heritage diesel & steam,Zig Zag Railway Co-op,8,30,1 h 30 min,1869,,AU,Australia,A 19th-century engineering marvel in the Blue Mountains: trains reverse down a rock-cut Z of sandstone viaducts that once carried the main western line off the plateau.,104,https://trainrouter.com/routes/zig-zag-railway/
silver-star,Silver Star,New York,Miami,classic,"Amtrak Viewliner & Amfleet, P42 diesel",Amtrak,2410,201,31 h,1947,,US,United States,Amtrak’s daily New York–Miami run via the Carolinas and a loop through Tampa — the East Coast’s classic snowbird train down to the Florida sun.,632,https://trainrouter.com/routes/silver-star/
ave-madrid-murcia,AVE Madrid–Murcia,Madrid,Murcia,high-speed,Renfe S-112 & S-106,Renfe,480,300,2 h 55 min,2022,,ES,Spain,"High speed reached the Segura in December 2022, running Madrid to Murcia via Cuenca and Albacete on a new elevated approach into the palm-country capital.",584,https://trainrouter.com/routes/ave-madrid-murcia/
vivarais-mastrou,Le Mastrou (Vivarais),Tournon-sur-Rhône,Lamastre,scenic,"1903 Mallet steam, metre-gauge coaches",Chemin de fer du Vivarais,33,30,2 h,1891,,FR,France,"A metre-gauge steam survivor climbing the granite gorge of the Doux from the Rhône at Tournon to the chestnut country of Lamastre, hauled by 1903 Mallet engines.",179,https://trainrouter.com/routes/vivarais-mastrou/
chiemsee-bahn,Chiemsee-Bahn,Prien,Prien-Stock,scenic,1887 Krauss steam tram,Chiemsee-Bahn,2,20,10 min,1887,,DE,Germany,"The world’s oldest steam tram still in service, an 1887 green Krauss engine that shuttles down to the Chiemsee jetty for the boat to Ludwig II’s island palace.",97,https://trainrouter.com/routes/chiemsee-bahn/
monte-generoso,Monte Generoso Railway,Capolago,Monte Generoso,scenic,Stadler rack railcars,Ferrovia Monte Generoso,9,14,40 min,1890,,CH,Switzerland,"A rack line from the shore of Lake Lugano to a 1,704 m summit whose Mario Botta “Fiore di pietra” lookout takes in the Alps from Monte Rosa to the Apennines.",112,https://trainrouter.com/routes/monte-generoso/
great-central-railway,Great Central Railway,Loughborough,Leicester North,scenic,Preserved express steam & Mk1 coaches,Great Central Railway,13,40,50 min,1899,,GB,United Kingdom,"Britain’s only double-track heritage main line, where two steam expresses can pass at speed just as they did on the last main line built towards the Continent.",110,https://trainrouter.com/routes/great-central-railway/
keighley-worth-valley,Keighley & Worth Valley Railway,Keighley,Oxenhope,scenic,Victorian steam & vintage coaches,K&WVR,8,40,25 min,1867,,GB,United Kingdom,"The branch that starred in the 1970 film “The Railway Children”, steaming up the Brontë moors past Haworth to the mill village of Oxenhope.",95,https://trainrouter.com/routes/keighley-worth-valley/
kingston-flyer,Kingston Flyer,Kingston,Fairlight,scenic,"1920s Ab-class steam, wooden carriages",Kingston Flyer,14,50,45 min,1878,,NZ,New Zealand,"A vintage steam service on the old Southland line by Lake Wakatipu, its 1920s Ab Pacific and wooden cars a survivor of New Zealand’s golden age of rail.",118,https://trainrouter.com/routes/kingston-flyer/
himsagar-express,Himsagar Express,Jammu,Kanyakumari,classic,ICF sleeper & AC coaches,Indian Railways,3785,110,68 h,1990,,IN,India,"From the Himalayan foothills at Jammu to the very tip of India at Kanyakumari — about 3,785 km through a dozen states, one of the country’s longest single journeys.",631,https://trainrouter.com/routes/himsagar-express/
frecciarossa-milan-reggio-calabria,Frecciarossa Milan–Reggio Calabria,Milan,Reggio Calabria,high-speed,Frecciarossa 1000 (ETR 1000),Trenitalia,1400,300,9 h,2009,,IT,Italy,The red arrow’s longest domestic run — the length of Italy from Milan down the Tyrrhenian coast to the Strait of Messina at Reggio Calabria.,543,https://trainrouter.com/routes/frecciarossa-milan-reggio-calabria/
nightjet-vienna-rome,Nightjet Vienna–Rome,Vienna,Rome,night,ÖBB Nightjet sleepers & couchettes,ÖBB,1180,200,14 h,2021,,AT|IT,Austria|Italy,"Board in Vienna after dinner, cross the Carinthian Alps and the Venetian plain by night, and wake rolling into Rome — a sleeper between two imperial capitals.",402,https://trainrouter.com/routes/nightjet-vienna-rome/
alaska-aurora-winter-train,Aurora Winter Train,Anchorage,Fairbanks,scenic,"Alaska Railroad coaches, dome & diesel",Alaska Railroad,573,95,12 h,1923,,US,United States,"The winter run north across a frozen Alaska — flag-stopping for bush residents between Anchorage and Fairbanks, the northern lights often overhead.",113,https://trainrouter.com/routes/alaska-aurora-winter-train/