| For many people the journey
to a destination is a more memorable experience than the arrival.
Some of the world's great train rides are
super-rapid. Others pick daisies. Some are working trains taken
by local people others are tourist wagons built for comfort.
But
they all offer a unique momentum, remarkable scenery and unforgettable
social encounters.
On July 1st, a new railway opens in China linking Beijing
to Tibet. With a peak of 5,072 m, it will
be the world's highest railway, so train compartments will be pressurised
to reduce the effects of altitude sickness.
It has taken 30,000 Chinese workers five years
to build a new railway line from Golmund in Qinghai province to
Lhasa in Tibet. Its construction is controversial because the railway
link will end Tibet's geographical isolation. Nevertheless, tickets
are booked far into the future. For details see: www.chinatibettrain.com
The world's longest train journey you can take
without having to change trains is the 9,000 km Trans-Siberian route
from Moscow
to Vladivostok in Russia.
The world's longest north-south train journey is
along the Ghan railway in Australia, which travels 2,979 km
from Darwin to Adelaide. For details see: www.railaustralia.com.au
For speed freaks, Japan's bullet train (Shinkansen)
is a must-ride. For details see: www.japanrail.com
Other notable trains and train journeys include
the:
You can buy tickets directly from train companies,
or from a rail travel specialist such as:
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