The world's longest run without changing trains is one of 10,214 km (6,346 miles) from Moscow, Russia to Pyongyang in North Korea. One train a week makes the journey by this route, which includes sections of the famous Trans-Siberian line.
Trans-Siberian is the longest train trip in the world at seven days long. It travels 10,214 km across 16 major rivers, 876 stations, and 87 cities. Some long train trips – like the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver – begin and end with overnight stays in luxurious hotels.
The Indian Pacific, Sydney to Perth
Stretching the width of the continent, from Sydney on the east coast to Perth in Western Australia, the Indian Pacific is Australia's longest train journey and one of its most epic.
The longest single train journey in Britain is the 08:20 from Aberdeen to Penzance, operated by CrossCountry. It takes nearly 13 and a half hours (arriving at 21:43) making thirty-three intermediate stops and covering 1162km (722 miles).
The world's longest run without changing trains is one of 10,214 km (6,346 miles) from Moscow, Russia to Pyongyang in North Korea. One train a week makes the journey by this route, which includes sections of the famous Trans-Siberian line.
A prominent landmark and tourist attraction, Angels Flight is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge funicular railway. Situated in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California, it has two funicular cars, which are known as Olivet and Sinai.
1. The Ghan. Known as one of the most legendary rail journeys Australia has to offer, The Ghan traverses some of the country's most awe-inspiring landscapes. Those choosing to travel on the tracks can pick between Darwin to Adelaide, Adelaide to Alice Springs and Darwin to Alice Springs, each trip being reversible.
1. The Ghan. One of the most famous trains on the planet, The Ghan connects Darwin with Adelaide and provides visitors with access to one of the world's most enchanting and majestic natural wonders, Uluru.
While construction on a line for this train began in 1878, The Ghan currently offers one of the most luxurious train experiences in the world. This train is one of the longest in the world with two locomotives and 24 carriages.
Discover the thrill of a 52° (128%) incline in open terrain riding the steepest passenger railway in the world, the Scenic Railway.
The United States has the world's longest railway network, followed by China and India.
The U.S. rail system stretched across almost 149,000 km in 2021, making it the largest network in the world. It is followed by the the Chinese rail network, which encompasses close to 110,000 rail kilometers.
The XPT operates at a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph). However, it can theoretically reach speeds of 200 km/h. XPT trains currently operate services from Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane and Dubbo.
Perhaps the most iconic station is Melbourne's Flinders Street Station located on the corner of Swanston and Flinders Streets.
1. The Bernina Express, Switzerland. If you're looking for the most beautiful train ride on earth, you know that Switzerland has to be number one on this list.
Flinders Street Station is Australia's oldest train station, and with its prominent green copper dome, distinctive yellow facade, arched entrance, tower, and clocks, it is one of Melbourne's most recognisable landmarks.
Sydney Central Railway Station is the largest and busiest railway station in Australia and serves as a major transport interchange for NSW TrainLink inter-city rail services and others. Which is Australia's busiest train station? Sydney's rail network moves over a million people a day.
Few train journeys are as epic as the Indian Pacific. From Sydney on Australia's east coast across the entire continent to Perth in the west, it passes through landscapes as varied as the spectacular Blue Mountains and the endless flat, otherworldly stretches of the Nullarbor Plain.
The historic Katoomba Scenic Railway, located in the stunning Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, is the steepest cable-driven funicular railway in the world, with the steepest incline an astonishing 52 degrees. Passengers embark on a thrilling, unique journey in the 84 seat glass roofed red train carriage.
Hiram Bingham, Peru. Having an old-world charm, this scenic train journeys whistles past misty mountains in Peru. The route connects two of the famous tourist places in the country, Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Nariz del Diablo, also called Devil's Nose Train, is located in the Andes. It is 900o feet above sea level which makes this train route the most difficult among all.
Grattan Institute's Transport and Cities program director Marion Terrill told news.com.au podcast I've Got News for You that it would simply be too expensive to create a high speed rail network. “Australians do love the idea of fast trains and I love fast trains too, but Australia is just not suited to high speed rail.
"Fast rail, like what we're seeing here from Tokyo to Hiroshima, is not coming anytime soon to NSW. "But we're looking at ways we can preserve corridors and invest for the (rail) system we have in place to become more efficient so commuters can get from Sydney to the Central Coast faster."
Melbourne's historical tram network broadly outperforms Sydney's when it comes to travel times, where, even on tracks laid in recent years featuring modern technology, trams move much slower.
It probably comes as no surprise that in a global 2019 survey of railroad efficiency, the top two places went to Japan and Hong Kong, with scores of 6.8 and 6.5 (out of seven) respectively.