Around The World in Eight...Train Journeys with Jon Baines

I have always enjoyed rail journeys, from my tube trip to school in London to epic overnight journeys through South America or China. I try to include rail in all our tours, and generally prefer slower trains, allowing for more viewing opportunities and (comfort allowing) that romantic overnight journey - though I will always make an exception for Maglev.

Below is a selection of some of my favourite journeys. I would encourage any train enthusiasts to visit the excellent train journey website, The Man in Seat 61.  

West Coast Wilderness Railway - Tasmania

The west of Tasmania is a wild and beautiful part of the world. This historic railway was cut through mountains and ancient rainforest to connect the19th century mining town of Queenstown to the coast, linking remote settlements and farms along the way.  It climbs the southern hemisphere’s steepest steam rail track, using a rack and pinion rail system. The steam trains can be pushed by hand around the perfectly balanced turn table.  The carriages have been lovingly restored, the tea served at the halfway station is delicious, and the commentary entertaining.

Chengdu – Kunming Railway - China

Yunnan and Sichuan are in the southwest of China and known for their mountain landscapes, stretching from the foothills of Tibet to the jungles of Indochina.  This overnight train journey runs from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province. The journey is as dramatic as the landscapes it crosses. This is a slow train, allowing time to enjoy the scenery and the meals in the restaurant car. The four berth compartments are comfortable and roomy.

The Reunification Express - Vietnam

The Reunification Express connects Hanoi with Ho Chi Min City, formerly Saigon. The whole journey usually takes over two days. I usually travel from Hanoi to Danang, the midway point in modern Violette trains. These are comfortable sleepers complete with snacks, beer and, a flower in a vase! The section between Hue to Danang is stunning as the train crosses the Perfume River, past lush paddy fields, villages, and mountains and snakes along a beautiful coastline.

The original Orient Express route – Bucharest to Istanbul

The original Orient Express train ran from Paris through Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Bulgaria to Istanbul. I had just read Graham Green’s interwar thriller Stamboul Express as I boarded the train from Bucharest. The snow was swirling as I made my way to my first-class compartment, elegantly furnished in art deco rose wood. In the glow of the carriage light, my companions seemed to have arrived from 1930’s central Europe. At midnight we stopped for customs at the Turkish border. The snow, now a blizzard,was caught in the spotlights of the border post where soldiers smoked and drank coffee as they checked and stamped passports. By morning the snow was gone, replaced by early morning sunlight as I looked out of my window. We were crossing the Golden Horn past the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofia to arrive in the elegant Orient Express railway station.

Madaraka Express (prior to 2017, a colonial-era metre-gauge overnight sleeper known as the Lunatic Express) - Nairobi to Mombasa

Sometimes it is the train as well as the journey that makes for a great railway experience. This was an overnight journey from the Kenyan coast to Nairobi in the highlands. Our two-berth sleeper had leather seats that turned into comfortable beds and a chrome fan. I pressed a large button out of curiosity and almost immediately the door was opened, so we ordered two gin and tonics. Later, sitting in a very comfortable dining car and onto our second large G & T, we watched giraffes saunter past as the large African sun sunk over the horizon.

Maglev train journeys – from Birmingham to Shanghai

Some people may not know that the world’s first commercial Maglev train was in Birmingham - it connected an exhibition centre and the railway station and reached the giddy speed of 42 kph. Things have moved on. When I travelled on the Shanghai Airport Maglev train it reached over 400kph. A speedometer at the end of each carriage ensures you know how fast you are going.  Cars on the adjacent roads seemed to be crawling along and the journey was incredibly smooth.

Sri Lanka Railways -  Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

The train travels from the ancient Sri Lankan capital of Kandy in the centre of the country through tea country, past tea and spice plantations. The windows and doors can open during the journey, allowing you to take the air and, if you are feeling daring, to lean out of the train. Nanuoya station is a wonderfully preserved 1930’s station; the typography, waiting rooms, ticket office could feature in Brief Encounter. The similarities stop at the delicious local snacks served, which include samosas.

Steam train - Damascus

There is something about a small steam train chugging slowly by that makes people smile, clap and laugh. Those on the train cheerily wave as they chuff chuff their way through streets and past fields, reciprocated by locals, who have seen it many times before. On a tour I led in Syria in 2002, I charted a train with 2 carriages for our group to chug out of Damascus and back in again. The group spent the majority of the ride looking outside, smiling and waving as we rode through the small streets on the outskirts of Damascus. I think it cost 200 dollars, but the joy it brought was immeasurable.

Inca Rail and PeruRail - Cusco to Machu Picchu and Cusco to Lake Titcaca

For many years the highest railway in the world was in Peru. The fact that train lines were built in Peru at all is impressive. Much of the country is at an altitude of over 3000 meters and the trains, built in the late 19^thand early 20^th century, criss cross the country. The rail journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu climbs up the mountainside via five switch backs known locally as El Zig Zag. This train continues a slow, magical journey through the mountains and through the streets of Aguas Calientes, the town closest to Machu Picchu. From Cusco there is another great railway journey along the altiplano to Lake Titicaca, through the heartland of the Inca empire, which takes a day.

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