# The Most Incredible Train Journeys in the World > We rounded up the top 10 incredible rail routes around the world, from Scotland to New Zealand. Find out where the finest views open up along the way. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/top10-neimovirnykh-zaliznychnykh-podorozhei-po-vsomu-svitu-vid-shotlandii-do-novoi-zelandii/ - Language: en - Published: 2024-05-01 - Categories: Culture, Mountains, Tours, Canada, France, New Zealand, Lakes, Forests --- Travelling by train is the most civilised way to get around and get to know a new country, free from the grind of the daily commute. Each of us has a favourite route, whether it's conquering the Alps on a rack railway or racing across the rooftops of Tokyo aboard the futuristic Shinkansen "bullet train". What's more, travelling by train is good for the planet. "If every domestic and intra-European air route that can be covered by train in under four hours were replaced, 36 million tonnes of carbon emissions could be saved every year," says Naren Shaam, founder and CEO of the travel technology company Omio. "Trains are magical, and the moment I'm travelling on one I feel calm as I gaze out of the window. Trains are also inclusive, adapting to everyone's needs, and if you're lucky you can sit by a big window, daydream and enjoy the view. Intrigued? Here are 10 amazing journeys that every railway lover should cross off their list the moment borders fully reopen. ## West Highland Line, Scotland ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-1-2024.jpg) Regularly topping the rankings of the world's most scenic rail routes, the remarkable West Highland Line is a "greatest hits" of Scotland's most beautiful landscapes. Running roughly 193 kilometres (120 miles) from Glasgow to Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, it offers an ever changing panorama of lochs and glens, desolate moorland and brooding peaks. Not content with that, the line continues for another 41 unforgettable miles (66 kilometres) to the western port town of Mallaig, passing some of the country's loveliest lochs and the stunning curved viaduct at Glenfinnan, made famous by the "Harry Potter" films. You can savour this route aboard the comfortable Caledonian Sleeper night train from London to Fort William, with the final stretch across the desolate Rannoch Moor accompanied by breakfast. Keep an eye out for deer, the symbol of Scotland, surveying their kingdom. From April to October, the night train also connects with another famous service, the daily steam-hauled Jacobite, which runs between Fort William and Mallaig and back, offering the chance to enjoy the scenery at a leisurely pace on a beautifully restored piece of railway history. ## Trans-Iranian Railway, Iran ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-2-2024.jpg) A little-known gem, this astonishing feat of civil engineering was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in July 2021, placing it alongside world-famous sites such as Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. Linking the Persian Gulf with the Caspian Sea, it opened in 1938 after 11 years of difficult construction. Though little known today outside Iran, it can rightly claim to be one of the greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century. It runs 1,394 kilometres (865 miles) from Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni on the Persian Gulf to Bandar Torkaman on the Caspian Sea, passing through Ahvaz, Qom and Tehran. The railway includes no fewer than 224 tunnels and nearly 400 bridges, climbing to an altitude of 2,130 metres (7,000 feet) on either side of Tehran. Crossing two formidable mountain ranges required not only building long, steep gradients but also ingenious engineering solutions to gain height through spiral tunnels and giant leaps across isolated valleys in an incredibly hot, harsh landscape. The result is one of the most memorable rail journeys in the world, even if few travellers outside Iran have managed to enjoy it. ## The Ghan, Australia ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-3-2024.jpg) The vast, hostile Australian outback is not an environment to be taken lightly. Fortunately, modern travellers can experience this astonishing landscape from the comfort of The Ghan. Widely regarded as one of the world's greatest rail journeys, it runs weekly along a 2,979-kilometre (1,851-mile) route, spanning Australia from Adelaide in the south, through Alice Springs, to Darwin in the Northern Territory. Each trip lasts more than 53 hours, including lengthy stops at outposts such as Coober Pedy, where passengers can get to know the Outback on off-train excursions. Today's luxurious stainless-steel carriages, with elegant dining cars and private cabins served by personal attendants, are a world away from the notoriously unreliable trains that plied this route from 1929 to 1980. The origins of the train's unusual name are disputed, but they reach back almost a century to its former nickname, the "Afghan Express", a nod to the Afghan cameleers brought to Australia by the British in the late 19th century to help open up the country's interior. ## Qinghai-Tibet Railway, China ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-4-2024.jpg) For centuries, the remote mountain plateau known as the "Roof of the World" was visited only by the hardiest travellers and explorers, but the opening of the magnificent Qinghai-Tibet Railway in 2006 created a permanent connection to China's rail network. Sometimes called the "Railway to the Sky", the 1,955-kilometre (1,215-mile) route from Xining in central China to Lhasa in Tibet reaches its highest point at the Tanggula Pass, 5,068 metres (16,627 feet) above sea level, with almost half the line sitting above 13,123 feet. One of the greatest engineering achievements of the early 21st century, the railway cost 4.2 billion dollars to build. The challenges included construction in a high-altitude region prone to earthquakes, with low temperatures, low atmospheric pressure and permafrost. Unique sealed carriages, specially designed for this route, help travellers minimise the effects of altitude sickness brought on by the low oxygen levels on the highest railway in the world. Through the train windows, travellers can enjoy amazing views of the plateau's fragile environment, where yaks graze on meadows overlooked by snow-capped mountains. The main sights include the Qiangtang prairie, the Hoh Xil nature reserve, Lake Namtso and the Tanggula Mountains at the highest point of the journey. Direct trains reach Lhasa from Beijing in about 40 hours and from Shanghai (47 hours), and by 2030, once the 47.8 billion dollar Sichuan-Tibet Railway is complete, high-speed electric trains will cut the 1,629-kilometre (1,012-mile) trip from Chengdu to Lhasa from 48 hours to just 13. ## Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, India ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-5-2024.jpg) Nicknamed the "Toy Train", this puffing relic of the British Empire remains one of the world's greatest railway adventures. Climbing roughly 2,134 metres (7,000 feet) along a winding 89-kilometre (55-mile) route between New Jalpaiguri and the hill station of Darjeeling, the narrow-gauge DHR uses every trick in the railway engineer's book to gain height. Six zigzags (where trains reverse several times to gain altitude) and five loops lengthen the railway, keeping the gradients gentle enough for the trains to climb. The railway was built in 1879-81 to improve access to the cooler mountain climate of Darjeeling in north-east India, allowing British colonists to escape the stifling heat of Calcutta (now Kolkata). In 1998, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although most of the railway's traffic now travels by road, several journeys run each day, including the tourist "Red Panda" route from Darjeeling to Kurseong via the summit of the line at 2,258 metres (7,407 feet) in Ghum. The line's most famous residents, the legendary Class B steam locomotives built between 1889 and 1925, still haul the occasional special train, but most services are now run by diesel locomotives. ## Oslo-Bergen Railway, Norway ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-6-2024.jpg) Travellers in Scandinavia are spoilt for choice when it comes to scenic rail journeys, but the 496-kilometre (308-mile) trip between Norway's two largest cities may well be the grandest of all. Linking Oslo with Bergen on the country's west coast, the Bergensbanen was completed in 1909 and crosses Europe's largest high-altitude plateau, the Hardangervidda. Around the summit of the line at Finse, the mountain climate is so extreme that it was used by polar explorers such as Roald Amundsen and Ernest Shackleton to prepare for expeditions to Antarctica. More recently, the area served as the backdrop for the famous snow battle scenes in the "Star Wars" sequel "The Empire Strikes Back". Beyond the stark beauty of the highlands, travellers can enjoy unforgettable views of crystal-clear lakes, salmon-filled rivers, towering mountains, the majestic Hardangerjokulen glacier and, as the train nears its destination, breathtaking fjords. A magnet for winter sports lovers, the whole line is dotted with other attractions, not least the world-famous Flam Railway (another of the world's most incredible train journeys), which drops steeply to the shore of the stunning Sognefjord. And as if that weren't enough, the port city of Bergen, gateway to the fjords and one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions, awaits you at the end of the journey. ## Bernina Express, Switzerland ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-7-2024.jpg) With its wealth of mountain railways, cable cars, funiculars, postbuses and lake steamers, Switzerland is like a Disneyland for transport enthusiasts. With so many amazing journeys to choose from, it's hard to pick a favourite. Even so, the spectacular Bernina Express must rank high on any list of Swiss attractions. Crossing a watershed where meltwater can flow into the North Sea, the Mediterranean or even the Black Sea, the Bernina Pass is the highest railway crossing in the Alps, following an ancient trade route. But it's far more than just a pass; it's a bridge between Northern and Southern Europe, linking different cultures and linguistic traditions and marking the transition from the high mountains and glaciers of the Swiss canton of Graubunden to the palm trees and vineyards of the Valtellina in Italy. Immaculate red trains connect the exclusive Alpine resort of St. Moritz with Tirano in Italy, crossing the Bernina Pass at 2,253 metres (7,392 feet) above sea level. Panoramic trains with huge windows make several trips a day. For a more immersive experience, hop aboard a regional train that stops everywhere, with drop-down windows, and breathe in the fresh, cool mountain air. Every journey across the Bernina is different, whatever the season, but the highlights of any trip are the amazing spiral viaduct at Brusio, where the train crosses over itself on a sharp bend, the sweep around Lake Bianco near the summit of the line, and the final unhurried ride through the streets of Tirano as you approach the terminus. And remember: unlike most Swiss mountain railways, this is an international line, so don't forget to bring your passport. ## The Canadian, Canada ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-8-2024.jpg) Railways played a vital role in the making of some of the world's largest countries, opening up vast tracts of previously inaccessible land and connecting farmland and forests with coastal cities and ports. Canada is one of the greatest examples of the impact of railways, and its last remaining transcontinental train is a celebration of the country's breathtaking scenery. Over four days and 4,463 kilometres (2,775 miles), this train, operated by VIA Rail, links Toronto with Vancouver through forests, lakes and seemingly endless prairies. But if you're heading west, the train saves the best for last, climbing through the Rocky Mountains to its destination on the Pacific coast. In an age of instant communication and air travel, The Canadian is a throwback to another time, when long-distance journeys were more comfortable and more sociable. Sharing dining tables and open lounges over the course of a longer trip lets you get to know your fellow passengers, enrich the experience and swap stories as you travel. The train itself is a step back in time too, using beautiful stainless-steel passenger and sleeping cars from the 1950s with spacious cabins and panoramic dome cars that offer a special view of Canada's amazing landscapes. ## Little Yellow Train, France ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-9-2024.jpg) High in the Pyrenees, where the borders of France and Spanish Catalonia blur, a striking and unusual railway climbs through narrow gorges and soars over deep valleys to reach the only French territory on the Iberian Peninsula. Officially named the Ligne de Cerdagne after the region it serves, it's better known as the "Little Yellow Train" or even the "Metro of the Pyrenees", a nod to the origins of its advanced electric trains from the early 20th century. The most striking part of the 63-kilometre (39-mile) route is the climb from Villefranche-de-Conflent, a magnificent fortified town and UNESCO World Heritage Site 31 miles west of Perpignan, to Odeillo-Font-Romeu. Clinging to the slopes of the deep, rocky valley of the River Tet, the line winds between forests, ravines and rushing streams, passing traditional villages, historic fortresses and a precariously perched hermitage. Built between 1903 and 1909, the line is a striking feat of civil engineering, its centrepiece being the magnificent Gisclard Bridge, the only railway suspension bridge in France. For lovers of unusual railways, the old trains are worth the journey in their own right. In summer they include open-top carriages that give an incredible 360-degree view and make this one of the world's finest rail journeys. Seven of the 10 original trains, based on Paris Metro cars, are still in service. From the summit of the line at Bolquere-Eyne, the highest railway station in France at 1,593 metres (5,226 feet), the line winds across a sunny plateau past the border town of Bourg-Madame to Latour-de-Carol, a very unusual station where the main lines of the Spanish and French railways meet the yellow narrow-gauge trains. It may not be the most famous railway in the world, but you'll never forget your ride on this striking and quirky little train. ## TranzAlpine, New Zealand ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-21-10-2024.jpg) New Zealand is far from ideal train country, yet it is home to what is unquestionably one of the world's greatest rail journeys. Connecting the cosmopolitan city of Christchurch with Greymouth on New Zealand's South Island, the TranzAlpine takes four and a half hours to cover just 224 kilometres (139 miles). But the bare statistics don't tell the real story of this incredible experience, which passes through wildly varied landscapes, from the Canterbury Plains to the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps, remote alpine meadows and the lakes, streams and forests of the island's west coast. Swiss-style panoramic carriages let you make the most of this wonderful journey, but the famous "open-air carriage" is the real highlight for many travellers. This open-sided car lets passengers feel the fresh mountain air first-hand and capture New Zealand's amazing landscapes on camera. For an even richer experience, TranzAlpine passengers can now also listen to GPS-linked audio commentary in English and Mandarin, sharing stories and facts about the places along the route, the country and its culture.