Unbranded passenger train beside Lake Champlain in autumn on the Adirondack route.

Curated collection

Scenic train journeys

Rail journeys where the landscape is part of the destination.

153 published journeys

What defines this collection

A considered way into the catalogue

Discover published train experiences selected through the canonical Scenic archetype, with route, season, booking and comparison data drawn from the Train Experience Graph.

Featured journeys

Start with these

Adirondack

A full daylight run from Manhattan to Montreal via Lake Champlain.

12h 01m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

An E6 series Komachi Shinkansen crossing a bridge in autumn colour.

Akita Shinkansen: Tokyo to Akita

A mini-shinkansen over the mountains to the Sea of Japan

3h 37m

Photo: 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Alishan Forest Railway

A century-old forest railway climbing from Chiayi into Alishan.

Photo: Huaiwun / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Complete collection

All journeys

Adirondack

A full daylight run from Manhattan to Montreal via Lake Champlain.

12h 01m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Akita Shinkansen: Tokyo to Akita

A mini-shinkansen over the mountains to the Sea of Japan

3h 37m

Photo: 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Alishan Forest Railway

A century-old forest railway climbing from Chiayi into Alishan.

Photo: Huaiwun / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Amtrak Cascades

Pacific Northwest by rail from British Columbia to Oregon.

10h 25m

Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 2.0

Andean Explorer

Sleep high in the Andes between Cusco, Lake Titicaca and Arequipa.

72h

Photo: Gerry Zambonini · CC BY-SA 2.0

Arlberg Railway

Austria’s classic east–west Alpine main line through the Arlberg.

1h 15m

Photo: Liberaler Humanist / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Aurora Winter Train

Twelve winter hours across Alaska from Anchorage to Fairbanks.

11h 30m

Photo: Nils Öberg / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

A Bayerische Zugspitzbahn train at Grainau below the snow-covered Wetterstein mountains.

Bavarian Zugspitze Railway

Cogwheel rail from Garmisch into Germany’s highest mountain landscape.

1h 15m

Photo: Phil Richards from London, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0

A Beijing suburban S2 train curving through the Juyongguan mountain pass.

Beijing S2: the Great Wall train to Badaling

A suburban train to the Great Wall, through the spring blossom

1h 30m

Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0

A green and yellow Chinese passenger train running beside Qinghai Lake on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

Beijing to Lhasa by train

Two nights from the capital to the Tibetan plateau

39h 58m

Photo: xue siyang (df45086) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Bergen Line

Across Norway’s roof from Oslo to Bergen in a single railway day.

Photo: David Gubler (Kabelleger) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Bernina Express

From glaciers to palms across the Swiss Alps

Photo: Christoph Radtke / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Bohinj Railway

A working Alpine railway through Slovenia’s Julian Alps and the Bohinj tunnel.

1h 30m

Photo: Simon Legner ( User:simon04 ) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Unbranded regional passenger train beside a river in the rolling Scottish Borders.

Borders Railway

From Edinburgh into the rolling Scottish Borders in about an hour.

1h 01m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Brienz Rothorn Railway

Steam from Lake Brienz to a 360-degree mountain panorama.

Photo: Hans-Peter Bärtschi · CC BY 4.0

Brocken Railway

Steam to the top of the Harz on Germany’s most famous narrow-gauge mountain train.

50m

Photo: Andreas Tille / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

California Zephyr

Across the Rockies to California

52h 14m

Photo: Sergey Yarmolyuk / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Cardinal

The Appalachian long way between New York and Chicago.

27h 28m

Photo: NovaWolce · CC BY-SA 4.0

Centovalli Railway

Two countries and a hundred valleys in about two hours.

Photo: Alain GAVILLET from Chêne-Bougeries, Suisse · CC BY 2.0

Chemin de Fer de la Rhune

A vintage mountain train from the Basque foothills to the summit of La Rhune.

35m

Photo: Remontees · CC BY-SA 4.0

A CR200J3 train crossing Mianshan Bridge on the Emei–Guangtong section of the Chengdu–Kunming railway.

Chengdu to Kunming High-Speed Railway

Sichuan to Yunnan across the mountains of the south-west

7h 30m

Photo: 来斤小仓鼠吧 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Unbranded railcar crossing lava fields and orchards on the lower slopes of Mount Etna.

Circumetnea Railway

Local rail through lava country on the lower slopes of Mount Etna.

3h 30m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Amtrak's City of New Orleans crosses the Illinois landscape behind twin F40PH locomotives.

City of New Orleans: Chicago to New Orleans

Overnight down the Mississippi valley, Chicago to the Gulf

19h 30m

Photo: Gary Todd · CC0 1.0

Coast Starlight

Thirty-five hours of West Coast mountains, forests and ocean.

35h 16m

Photo: Glenn Beltz from Goleta, USA · CC BY 2.0

Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic winding through the S Curves toward Seward with Bartlett Glacier in the distance.

Coastal Classic Train

Turnagain Arm, wilderness and Resurrection Bay in one long day.

4h 35m

Photo: RickyCourtney / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Coastal Pacific

A five-hour-forty-minute journey along New Zealand’s Pacific coast, squeezed between the Kaikōura mountains and the sea before entering Marlborough wine country.

5h 40m

Photo: Alex Burgess / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Costa Verde Express

Green Spain by luxury train from the Basque Country to Galicia.

144h

Photo: Xuliu Pombar · CC0

Cumbres & Toltec locomotive 484 prepares to depart Osier with its excursion train.

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

64 miles of steam over Cumbres Pass and Toltec Gorge

7h 45m

Photo: Xboxtravis7992 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

The original Himalayan toy train through tea country.

7h 20m

Photo: Vikramjit Kakati · CC BY-SA 3.0

Dartmouth Steam Railway

Steam beside Tor Bay and the River Dart.

25m

Photo: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0

A Thai Railways passenger train crossing Wang Pho Viaduct on the Death Railway en route to Nam Tok in Thailand.

Death Railway to Nam Tok

A working Thai local train over the surviving River Kwai railway to Nam Tok.

Photo: calflier001 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Alaska Railroad Denali Star rounding a curve near Denali, Alaska.

Denali Star Train

A summer railway across interior Alaska

12h

Photo: Len Turner / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Historic-style steam passenger train beside the Douro River and terraced vineyards.

Douro Historical Train

Historic carriages, Port wine and the Douro river; diesel-hauled in 2026.

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

A passenger train following the Douro River beneath vineyard terraces.

Douro Line

One of Europe’s best-value scenic railways, running beside the Douro vineyards.

2h 35m

Photo: Nelso Silva · CC BY-SA 2.0

Unbranded intercity passenger train crossing the Dovrefjell high plateau.

Dovre Line

Seven hours over Norway’s mountain spine between Oslo and Trondheim.

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

A Durango and Silverton narrow gauge steam train in the Animas canyon.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Coal-fired steam on three-foot track through the Animas gorge

3h 30m

Photo: snowpeak · CC BY 2.0

Empire Builder

A two-night northern crossing of the United States.

46h

Photo: Loco Steve · CC BY-SA 2.0

Expreso de La Robla

A shorter heritage sleeper through the mountains of northern Spain.

72h

Photo: Luxury Train Club / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Far North Line

Britain’s long railway into the peatlands and North Sea coast.

4h 15m

Photo: Peter Moore / Geograph via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Ffestiniog Railway

Historic narrow gauge climbing from sea level into slate country.

1h 15m

Photo: SchmalspurDVZO · CC BY-SA 4.0

A Rocky Mountaineer train curving below the snow-capped Canadian Rockies.

First Passage to the West

The classic Rocky Mountaineer crossing from Vancouver to Banff and Lake Louise.

48h

Photo: The Land · CC BY-SA 3.0

Flåm Railway

A one-hour descent from high mountain railway to fjord through waterfalls, tunnels and a remarkably steep valley line.

55m

Photo: Jorge Láscar / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Furano Biei Norokko Train

Open-window sightseeing through Hokkaido’s lavender country.

1h 40m

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Furano Lavender Express

A direct seasonal limited express from Sapporo to Furano.

Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Furka Steam Railway

Historic steam high above the Furka base tunnel.

2h 15m

Photo: Marcin Wichary / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Glacier Discovery Train

A summer train into glacier country that roads cannot reach.

5h 35m

Photo: Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0

Glacier Express

Eight hours across the high Swiss Alps

Photo: Tim Adams / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Unbranded panoramic passenger train crossing Alpine meadows in the Pays-d’Enhaut.

GoldenPass Express

Montreux to Interlaken without changing gauge; or trains.

3h 15m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Gornergrat Railway

Matterhorn views from one of Europe’s highest rack railways.

33m

Photo: Rail Away TV / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Gotthard Panorama Express

Steamer, historic Gotthard railway and Ticino in one day.

5h 30m

Photo: Nelso Silva from Porto, Portugal · CC BY-SA 2.0

A Grand Canyon Railway passenger train at Grand Canyon Village near the South Rim.

Grand Canyon Railway: Williams to the South Rim

The 1901 line to the rim, still running daily

2h 15m

Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). · CC BY-SA 4.0

Modern high-speed train in the karst landscape near Guilin on the Guiyang–Guangzhou corridor.

Guiyang to Guangzhou High-Speed Railway

Karst country between Guizhou and the delta

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

HIGH RAIL 1375

A highland train built around mountain light and starry skies.

2h 40m

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Hinabi

Big windows and local food through northern Tohoku.

2h 10m

Photo: 舌平目 · CC0

Hiram Bingham

The most luxurious way to reach Machu Picchu by rail.

3h 19m

Photo: David Berkowitz from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0

An E7 series Hokuriku Shinkansen train crossing a viaduct above a rural valley.

Hokuriku Shinkansen: Tokyo to Tsuruga

Over the mountains to the Sea of Japan coast

3h 06m

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Unbranded blue-and-yellow passenger train in Alaska’s remote Susitna River valley.

Hurricane Turn Train

Flag down a real passenger train in roadless Alaska.

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Black-and-white sightseeing train beside Kagoshima Bay with Sakurajima beyond.

Ibusuki no Tamatebako

A folklore-themed coastal ride from Kagoshima.

51m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Inlandsbanan

A summer railway journey through the long, quiet interior of Sweden.

45h

Photo: Saippuakauppias / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Unbranded overnight passenger train approaching the Mediterranean coast at dawn.

Intercités de Nuit: Paris to Nice

Overnight from Paris to the Riviera, in the Train Bleu tradition

11h 30m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Jasper–Prince Rupert Train

A working passenger train through one of Canada’s least-travelled great landscapes.

34h 40m

Photo: TagaSanPedroAko · CC0

A Rocky Mountaineer train running through the dry canyon country of interior British Columbia.

Journey through the Clouds

Two daylight days from Vancouver to Jasper through the Rockies.

48h

Photo: The Land · CC BY-SA 3.0

Jungfrau Railway train at Kleine Scheidegg with the Eiger north face behind it.

Jungfrau Railway to Jungfraujoch

A railway into the world of glaciers at 3,454 metres.

41m

Photo: Maria Feofilova / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Unbranded passenger train threading rainforest and limestone karst near Gua Musang.

Jungle Railway

Long-distance public rail through the tropical interior of Peninsular Malaysia.

12h 30m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

KAIRI

Sea of Japan views paired with Niigata and Shonai food.

2h 25m

Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Kalka–Shimla Railway

Ninety-six kilometres of tunnels, curves and Himalayan engineering.

5h 05m

Photo: Joyson92 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

A Sri Lanka Railways hill-country train crossing the Nine Arches Bridge near Ella.

Kandy–Ella Railway

Sri Lanka’s hill-country railway through tea estates and cloud forest.

6h 45m

Photo: Alexey Komarov · CC BY-SA 4.0

Editorial illustration of an unbranded dark sightseeing train travelling through the green countryside of northern Kyushu.

Kanpachi Ichiroku

Taste the Kyudai Main Line through food and local hospitality.

3h 20m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Unbranded dark-blue sightseeing train beside the Kuma River in forested Kyushu.

Kawasemi Yamasemi

A special-date Aso train with strong design character.

1h 40m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Koshino Shu*Kura

A sake-themed train through Niigata.

1h 45m

Photo: 羽吹舞 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

A KTX-Eum train on the Gangneung line at Jeongdongjin.

KTX: Seoul to Gangneung

Seoul to the East Sea across the Taebaek mountains

1h 55m

Photo: Rsa · CC BY-SA 3.0

A CRH2J train running on the Kunming–Chuxiong–Dali railway in Yunnan.

Kunming to Dali Railway

Across the Yunnan plateau to Erhai lake

1h 48m

Photo: SS3-8057 · CC BY 4.0

China–Laos Railway train crossing the Mekong River north of Luang Prabang.

Kunming to Vientiane on the China–Laos Railway

Yunnan to the Mekong on a brand-new cross-border railway

9h 34m

Photo: Julia Denton-Barker · CC BY-SA 2.0

Kuranda Scenic Railway

Rainforest, waterfalls and century-old carriages above Cairns.

1h 55m

Photo: JustARandomEditor123 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko Train

Slow through Japan’s largest wetland.

45m

Photo: ゆずかわしゅうと · CC BY-SA 4.0

ScotRail Class 158 on the Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh service approaching Kyle.

Kyle Line

Lochs, mountains and moorland from Inverness to the west coast.

2h 40m

Photo: Phil Richards / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

La Trochita

A century-old steam narrow-gauge train across the Patagonian steppe.

Photo: Gustavo Perretto / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

A high-speed train on the Lanxin high-speed line approaching Jiayuguan South in the Gobi.

Lanzhou to Urumqi High-Speed Railway

High-speed rail along the Hexi Corridor

11h 30m

Photo: Liuxingy · CC BY-SA 4.0

An E353 series Limited Express Azusa running on the Chuo Main Line between Torisawa and Saruhashi.

Limited Express Azusa: Shinjuku to Matsumoto

Out of Tokyo and into the Japanese Alps

2h 30m

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Limited Express Hida: Nagoya to Takayama

Up the Hida river gorge to the old town

2h 20m

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Editorial illustration of an unbranded limited-express train beside the Pacific coast of the Kii Peninsula.

Limited Express Kuroshio: Shin-Osaka to Shirahama

Down the Kii peninsula beside the Pacific

2h 30m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

A JR West 683 series train of the type used on Thunderbird limited express services.

Limited Express Thunderbird: Osaka to Tsuruga

The Kansai connection to the Hokuriku Shinkansen

1h 20m

Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

A Zentralbahn Brünig-line train running beside Lake Brienz.

Luzern–Interlaken Express

Five lakes and the Brünig Pass on an hourly panorama train.

1h 50m

Photo: Kabelleger / David Gubler (http://www.bahnbilder.ch) · CC BY-SA 3.0

A Mariazellerbahn train crossing the Saugraben viaduct in the Alps.

Mariazell Railway

Austria’s long narrow-gauge mountain railway to Mariazell.

2h 30m

Photo: Liberaler Humanist · CC BY-SA 3.0

A Matheran Hill Railway train rounding a cliff-edge bend above the plains.

Matheran Hill Railway: Neral to Matheran

Two-foot gauge up to a hill station where cars are banned

Photo: Arne Hückelheim · CC BY-SA 3.0

A Mocănița narrow-gauge train on the Vaser Valley Railway in Maramureș, Romania.

Mocănița Vaser Valley Railway

Steam deep into a Romanian forest valley on a working forestry railway.

Photo: Nicu Farcaș / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Mont-Blanc Express

A cross-border mountain railway through the Trient and Chamonix valleys.

1h 30m

Photo: AndrewvdBK / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Steam and rack railway climbing into the Nilgiri Hills.

4h 50m

Photo: Stephan Niewolik / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Nordland Line

Norway’s longest railway, from Trondheim across the Arctic Circle to Bodø.

9h 49m

Photo: David Gubler (Kabelleger) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

North Norfolk Railway

Heritage trains between pine woods and the Norfolk coast.

25m

Photo: The Basingstoker · CC BY-SA 2.0

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Steam across the moors from market town to coast.

1h 50m

Photo: Bill Henderson / Geograph via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Northern Explorer

New Zealand’s North Island from Auckland to Wellington in one long scenic day.

10h 35m

Photo: Johnragla / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

An Odakyu 70000 series GSE Romancecar crossing the Sakawa river bridge at dusk.

Odakyu Romancecar: Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto

The observation-car run from Tokyo to Hakone

1h 25m

Photo: Kznrhsd · CC0

A train on the Ofoten Line between Narvik and Kiruna.

Ofoten Line: Narvik to Kiruna

Arctic iron-ore country, from the fjord to Lapland

Photo: Trond Blomlie · CC BY-SA 3.0

Oykot

A deliberately nostalgic local-line journey through rural Japan.

2h 20m

Photo: さちどん / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5

A PeruRail train beside the Urubamba River near Machu Picchu on the Vistadome Observatory route.

PeruRail Vistadome Observatory

Panoramic rail to Machu Picchu without stepping up to full luxury-train pricing.

1h 30m

Photo: Jorge Láscar / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

A Pilatus cogwheel train climbing the mountain railway.

Pilatus Cogwheel Railway

The world’s steepest cogwheel railway, up to 48 percent.

27m

Photo: Maria Feofilova / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Unbranded glass-dome passenger train above a forested western Canadian river canyon.

Rainforest to Gold Rush

Three days from Pacific rainforest to the Rockies; for the final time in 2026.

72h

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Rauma Line

A 90-minute descent through the mountains to the Romsdal fjord.

1h 30m

Photo: TomasEE / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

A Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway train running through the Cumbrian valley.

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway

A miniature steam railway from the Cumbrian coast into the fells.

40m

Photo: Peter Trimming · CC BY-SA 2.0

Resort Shirakami

Shirakami Mountains on one side, the Sea of Japan on the other.

5h 15m

Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Resort View Furusato

Northern Alps scenery from an observation-room train.

3h 36m

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Reunification Express

Vietnam from Hanoi to Saigon on the country’s defining north–south railway.

36h

Photo: Benjamin Vander Steen · CC BY 2.0

A steam train climbing the Rigi Railway through mountain scenery in Switzerland.

Rigi Railways

Europe’s first mountain railway, now with modern panoramic rack trains.

30m

Photo: Ttrainer · CC BY-SA 3.0

Ritten Railway

A tiny historic railway gliding across a sunny plateau above Bolzano.

18m

Photo: Frank Nowotny · CC BY-SA 4.0

Daylight glass-dome sightseeing train beside the Colorado River in red-rock canyon country.

Rockies to the Red Rocks

Glass-dome daylight rail from the Rockies into Utah red rock country.

48h

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Unbranded luxury passenger train crossing red-dune desert country in Namibia.

Rovos Rail Namibia Safari

Eleven nights from South African rail country into the Namib.

288h

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Royal Scotsman

A private Highland country house that happens to move by rail.

72h

Photo: Peter Moore / Geograph via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Šargan Eight

A narrow-gauge figure-eight carved into the mountains of western Serbia.

Photo: Herbert Ortner / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Editorial illustration of an unbranded sightseeing train crossing orchard country in northeastern Japan.

SATONO

A warm, food-led Joyful Train across southern Tohoku.

1h 56m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

A Schafberg mountain railway train in Austria.

Schafberg Railway

A steep red cog railway straight to one of the Salzkammergut’s great viewpoints.

35m

Photo: Dai Lygad · CC BY 2.0

A Schneebergbahn train climbing the open mountainside above Baumgartner.

Schneeberg Railway

A salamander-shaped cog train to Lower Austria’s highest mountain.

40m

Photo: Liberaler Humanist · CC BY-SA 3.0

Schynige Platte Railway

A century-old electric mountain train to a classic Jungfrau panorama.

56m

Photo: Frank Nowotny / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Narrow-gauge steam locomotive 99 6101 approaches Stiege on the Selke Valley line.

Selke Valley Railway

The quieter, more pastoral side of the Harz narrow-gauge network.

Photo: simon tunstall / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Semmering Railway

Ride the railway that proved main-line trains could cross the Alps.

Photo: C. Stadler / Bwag / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Serra Verde Express

Atlantic rainforest and dramatic engineering between Curitiba and Morretes.

Photo: Kel Bis / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Settle–Carlisle Line

Victorian railway engineering across the Yorkshire Dales.

1h 40m

Photo: Smiley.toerist / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Unbranded long-distance passenger train crossing the Qinghai–Tibet plateau beside a high-altitude lake.

Shanghai to Lhasa: train Z164/Z165

The longest run in China: 4,372 km and two nights to Tibet

45h 03m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

SL Banetsu Monogatari

Steam through forests and river country on the Banetsu West Line.

3h 33m

Photo: Olegushka / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Puxiong–Panzhihua slow train 5633 crossing Shangpuxiong Bridge in the Daliang Mountains.

Slow train 5633/5634: Puxiong to Panzhihua

China's cheapest long ride, through the Daliang mountains

9h 18m

Photo: Saigyouji-Noriko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Snowdon Mountain Railway

Rack railway to the roof of Wales.

3h 30m

Photo: Porius1 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Southwest Chief

Two nights from Chicago to Los Angeles across the old Southwest.

41h

Photo: Jerry Huddleston / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Unbranded long-distance passenger train passing cane fields and tropical ranges in North Queensland.

Spirit of Queensland

Twenty-five hours along Queensland’s tropical coast.

25h

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Spirit of the Outback

Overnight from Brisbane to the heart of Queensland’s interior.

26h

Photo: Lobster1 · CC BY-SA 3.0

An SJ night train bound for Narvik crossing the Bjørnfjell plateau just inside Norway.

Stockholm–Narvik Night Train

Sleep north through Sweden; with the direct Narvik service returning in December 2026.

18h 36m

Photo: David Gubler (Kabelleger) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Sunset Limited

Bayou country to desert sunsets on America’s southernmost long-distance train.

48h

Photo: Jerry Huddleston / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

A TGV Duplex runs at speed across the sunlit Provencal landscape on the LGV Mediterranee.

TGV inOui: Paris to Marseille

Paris to the Mediterranean in three hours flat

3h 04m

Photo: Jean-Louis Zimmermann · CC BY 2.0

VIA Rail’s Canadian travelling through the Rocky Mountains near Jasper.

The Canadian

Four days from Toronto to Vancouver

96h

Photo: Timothy Stevens / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Jacobite

Steam over Glenfinnan to the fishing port of Mallaig.

2h 16m

Photo: Daniel Kraft / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Silver overnight passenger train crossing Atlantic Canadian coastal marsh.

The Ocean

Overnight from Montréal to Halifax across Atlantic Canada.

23h 06m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

The Overland

A full daylight crossing between Melbourne and Adelaide.

10h 30m

Photo: Takeshi Aida · CC BY-SA 2.0

Train de l’Ardèche

Steam through the Doux gorges on one of France’s great heritage railways.

1h 45m

Photo: Peter Glyn / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0

Train des Merveilles

From the Mediterranean behind Nice into the high Roya valley by regional train.

1h 59m

Photo: Remontees · CC BY-SA 4.0

Train Jaune

A little yellow regional train high in the French Pyrenees.

3h 10m

Photo: M McBey / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Ferrovia dei Parchi excursion train at snowy Rivisondoli-Pescocostanzo station in the Abruzzo Apennines

Trans-Siberian Railway of Italy

Historic trains across the high plateaux of Abruzzo.

2h 35m

Photo: Manfred Kopka · CC BY-SA 4.0

TranzAlpine

A coast-to-coast crossing of New Zealand’s South Island through braided rivers, the Southern Alps, Arthur’s Pass and the lush West Coast.

4h 55m

Photo: Kabelleger / David Gubler · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tren a las Nubes

Ride above 4,200 metres to one of the world’s great railway viaducts.

Photo: Dr.Haus / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

The End of the World Train stands with its coaches beneath the mountains near Ushuaia.

Tren del Fin del Mundo

Steam through Tierra del Fuego on the railway at the end of the world.

1h 45m

Photo: Mark Fischer · CC BY-SA 4.0

Heritage train beside a reservoir in the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees.

Tren dels Llacs

Lakes, tunnels and Pyrenean foothills on a classic Catalan day train.

1h 55m

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

Tren Patagónico

An overnight crossing from Argentina’s Atlantic side to the Andes.

19h 10m

Photo: David Brossard / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

The green narrow-gauge Trenino Verde runs through the Sardinian countryside.

Trenino Verde della Sardegna

Sardinia at narrow-gauge speed, far from the island’s beach roads.

6h 30m

Photo: Gianni Careddu · CC BY-SA 4.0

Two Stars 4047

Two coasts and two different routes across West Kyushu.

2h 53m

Photo: Hana1213 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Umisachi Yamasachi

Miyazaki’s coast and mountains through cedar-lined carriages.

1h 49m

Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0

Voralpen-Express

Lakes, hills and high viaducts between St. Gallen and Lucerne every hour.

2h 15m

Photo: JoachimKohler-HB · CC BY-SA 4.0

Welsh Highland Railway

Twenty-five miles of steam beneath Yr Wyddfa.

2h 10m

Photo: Alan Wilson · CC BY-SA 2.0

A Wendelstein Rack Railway railcar passing the Hohe Mauer between tunnels 5 and 6 in Bavaria.

Wendelstein Cog Railway

A half-hour cogwheel climb from the Bavarian valley floor to the Wendelstein.

25m

Photo: Herbert Ortner / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5

A Wengernalp Railway train climbing through the Lauterbrunnen valley toward Wengen.

Wengernalp Railway to Kleine Scheidegg

Panorama cogwheel trains beneath the Eiger.

42m

Photo: ZachT / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

West Highland Line

A five-and-a-half-hour journey from Glasgow into the Scottish Highlands, across Rannoch Moor and over Glenfinnan Viaduct to the fishing port of Mallaig.

5h 30m

Photo: Tony Hisgett / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0