MISC | Greatest Potential Rail Journies

jaybob · February 13th, 2008, 12:14 PM

I have a wish that once I retire I would like to travel overland by rail from the U.K to Southern India. Then a short flight to Sri Lanka and travel by rail there. Is such a journey possible? I have been trying to establish what would be the best route so any ideas from you guys out there would be greatly appreciated.

Also if you could travel on your dream rail journey what would it be?

***ChrisZwolle*** · February 13th, 2008, 03:47 PM

You cannot reach India by train right now. It has only a connection to Pakistan, and not further.

pewpewpew · February 19th, 2008, 10:34 AM

You could technically get a train all the way from London to Lhasa in Tibet, cross Nepal into North India and then continue.

elfabyanos · February 19th, 2008, 05:56 PM

Surely you can go from Lisbon to Vladivostok?

urbanfan89 · February 19th, 2008, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elfabyanos

Surely you can go from Lisbon to Vladivostok?

Looking at Google Maps, the longest journey you could take all by rail would be from Lisbon to Ho Chi Minh City, though a line from China to Thailand is being built and in a few yeas you can get to Singapore all by rail. You will have to travel by metro to change stations in Paris, Moscow, and Beijing, but that still counts as rail. :P

Pommy · February 20th, 2008, 12:06 AM

It may be possible to get a train to India via Iran. You can definitely get to Terran and I think you can get to Kerman. I think there may also be a line from Pakistan to Zahedan Just inside Iran. I'm not sure if these two places are linked, but I thought there were plans. It would be a fantastic journey.

I would like to do Wick to Singapore when the line through Cambodia is finnished. At the moment there are only buses between Ho Chi Minh and Phnum Phen and Battambang to the Thai border.

Trainman Dave · February 20th, 2008, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pommy

It may be possible to get a train to India via Iran. You can definitely get to Terran and I think you can get to Kerman. I think there may also be a line from Pakistan to Zahedan Just inside Iran. I'm not sure if these two places are linked, but I thought there were plans.

There are plans but news about construction progress in Iran is hard to come by. As there has been no announcements, I assume that the connection is not yet complete.

***earthJoker*** · February 20th, 2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbanfan89

Looking at Google Maps, the longest journey you could take all by rail would be from Lisbon to Ho Chi Minh City, though a line from China to Thailand is being built and in a few yeas you can get to Singapore all by rail. You will have to travel by metro to change stations in Paris, Moscow, and Beijing, but that still counts as rail. :P

You don't have to go through Paris. You can go for example via Zürich where you can change trains at the same station.

Don't know if there is a way around Moscow

jaybob · February 20th, 2008, 01:27 PM

I like the idea of going via Iran and Pakistan. As you say info on Iran is sketchy at best. However with the revised rail link between India and Pakistan does open up some possibilities. It would be nice if it could be done all by rail, but may have to accept some short stints on road etc.

trainrover · February 21st, 2008, 07:05 PM

I fancy travelling by train to Buenos Aires from Montreal . . . possibly on my one-way ticket!

Augusto · February 24th, 2008, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaybob

I like the idea of going via Iran and Pakistan. As you say info on Iran is sketchy at best. However with the revised rail link between India and Pakistan does open up some possibilities. It would be nice if it could be done all by rail, but may have to accept some short stints on road etc.

The rail link between Bam and Zahedan is likely to be completed soon. India and Iran have very good relationships and they need a rail link. In fact this link mostly depends on the relations between India and Pakistan, as trafic would go though this country. China also have huge rail projects between Iran and China and between Pakistan and China.

Augusto · February 24th, 2008, 03:15 PM

From www.iran-daily.com

Quote:

Zahedan-Bam Railroad near Completion:
Bam-Zahedan railroad extends over 323 kilometers.
Europe and Asia will be linked with the completion of the Zahedan-Bam railway line, Sistan-Baluchestan governor general said.
Habibollah Dahmardeh noted that the project’s physical progress had been meager in the past ten years, Persian daily ’Iran’ wrote.
He added that the cabinet had approved 1.45 trillion rials for the project during the cabinet’s visit to this southeastern province in December 2005. The fund exceeds the total credit earmarked for the project in the past 10 years, he pointed out.
The official explained that railway lines are currently being laid on the Zahedan-Bam route. He put the length of Zahedan-Kerman route at 548 kilometers, of which Bam-Kerman route has been completed.
Dahmardeh elaborated that Bam-Zahedan railroad extends for 323 kilometers, adding that with the allocation of funds, construction operations will be accelerated.
He said that once one trillion rials is allocated, the entire route will become operational in the year to March 2009.

Dinuś · March 21st, 2008, 05:38 PM

Great news!

Can't wait to travel all the way from Haydarpasa to Pakistan by train (forget the ferry on Lake Van). I rode the train from Kerman to Bam already in 2005, but there was only one connection a day and the travelling speed wasn't very spectacular but I hope the true potential will be unlocked once Zahedan is linked to the rest of the Iranian railroad network.

Svajoklis · March 22nd, 2008, 05:05 PM

Pretty much all of these questions can be answered by www.seat61.com !

Yardmaster · March 24th, 2008, 03:26 PM

There have been a number of threads on this theme on this forum, including one I started myself: Ten Longest Continuous Railway Journeys on Earth
... it seemed that somewhere in Norway or Portugal was in fact further than Wick or Thurso in Scotland from, at the moment, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. There are apparently plans to link Thailand with Vietnam, which means you'll be able to catch the train to Singapore (via Beijing).

Other threads which are related:

The 5,000-km Singapore-Kunming Rail link
How far can you travel by standard gauge rail?

Singapore to Kyle of Lochalsh sounds like a pretty good trip to me ...

Joop20 · March 24th, 2008, 05:49 PM

May I recommend the book 'the great railway bazaar' by Paul Theroux? Although it's dated (1975), it's an excellent read, and the author travels from London to Asia by rail, crossing countries like Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan and Rusland.

Yardmaster · March 24th, 2008, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joop20

May I recommend the book 'the great railway bazaar' by Paul Theroux? Although it's dated (1975), it's an excellent read, and the author travels from London to Asia by rail, crossing countries like Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan and Rusland.

I commend it too ... read it already!

sathya_226 · March 24th, 2008, 06:46 PM

Wait for another 2 years ! Some super speed maglev trains are comin up right here in India! U ppl will get another kinda experience once it is established!

Yardmaster · March 24th, 2008, 06:56 PM

and when it's connected from Iran to Thailand ...

Joop20 · March 24th, 2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yardmaster

I commend it too ... read it already!

Have you read 'the old patagonian express' as well? Is it equally good?

February 13th, 2008, 12:14 PM	#1
jaybob A Tale of Two Cities Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: The middle of nowhere Posts: 760 Likes (Received): 0	MISC \| Greatest Potential Rail Journies I have a wish that once I retire I would like to travel overland by rail from the U.K to Southern India. Then a short flight to Sri Lanka and travel by rail there. Is such a journey possible? I have been trying to establish what would be the best route so any ideas from you guys out there would be greatly appreciated. Also if you could travel on your dream rail journey what would it be?

February 13th, 2008, 03:47 PM	#2
*ChrisZwolle* Road user Join Date: May 2006 Location: Zwolle Posts: 29,003 Likes (Received): 637	You cannot reach India by train right now. It has only a connection to Pakistan, and not further. __________________ Visit the Highways & Autobahns section! my clinched highways • highway pictures @ Flickr and Youtube

March 24th, 2008, 03:26 PM	#15
Yardmaster Registered Melbourne Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3,847 Likes (Received): 46	There have been a number of threads on this theme on this forum, including one I started myself: Ten Longest Continuous Railway Journeys on Earth ... it seemed that somewhere in Norway or Portugal was in fact further than Wick or Thurso in Scotland from, at the moment, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. There are apparently plans to link Thailand with Vietnam, which means you'll be able to catch the train to Singapore (via Beijing). Other threads which are related: The 5,000-km Singapore-Kunming Rail link How far can you travel by standard gauge rail? Singapore to Kyle of Lochalsh sounds like a pretty good trip to me ... Last edited by Yardmaster; March 24th, 2008 at 05:32 PM.

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February 19th, 2008, 10:34 AM	#3
pewpewpew Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 25 Likes (Received): 0	You could technically get a train all the way from London to Lhasa in Tibet, cross Nepal into North India and then continue.

February 19th, 2008, 05:56 PM	#4
elfabyanos Dracuna Macoides Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Brighton Posts: 1,826 Likes (Received): 0	Surely you can go from Lisbon to Vladivostok?

February 20th, 2008, 12:06 AM	#6
Pommy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: London Posts: 20 Likes (Received): 0	It may be possible to get a train to India via Iran. You can definitely get to Terran and I think you can get to Kerman. I think there may also be a line from Pakistan to Zahedan Just inside Iran. I'm not sure if these two places are linked, but I thought there were plans. It would be a fantastic journey. I would like to do Wick to Singapore when the line through Cambodia is finnished. At the moment there are only buses between Ho Chi Minh and Phnum Phen and Battambang to the Thai border.

February 20th, 2008, 01:27 PM	#9
jaybob A Tale of Two Cities Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: The middle of nowhere Posts: 760 Likes (Received): 0	I like the idea of going via Iran and Pakistan. As you say info on Iran is sketchy at best. However with the revised rail link between India and Pakistan does open up some possibilities. It would be nice if it could be done all by rail, but may have to accept some short stints on road etc.

February 21st, 2008, 07:05 PM	#10
trainrover Lucy-Kellaway's 4 ∞ Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 5,173 Likes (Received): 24	I fancy travelling by train to Buenos Aires from Montreal . . . possibly on my one-way ticket!

March 21st, 2008, 05:38 PM	#13
Dinuś Railfan Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pamiątkowo (Poland) Posts: 1,529 Likes (Received): 0	Great news! Can't wait to travel all the way from Haydarpasa to Pakistan by train (forget the ferry on Lake Van). I rode the train from Kerman to Bam already in 2005, but there was only one connection a day and the travelling speed wasn't very spectacular but I hope the true potential will be unlocked once Zahedan is linked to the rest of the Iranian railroad network.

March 22nd, 2008, 05:05 PM	#14
Svajoklis Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 316 Likes (Received): 0	Pretty much all of these questions can be answered by www.seat61.com !

March 24th, 2008, 05:49 PM	#16
Joop20 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 619 Likes (Received): 1	May I recommend the book 'the great railway bazaar' by Paul Theroux? Although it's dated (1975), it's an excellent read, and the author travels from London to Asia by rail, crossing countries like Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan and Rusland.

March 24th, 2008, 06:46 PM	#18
sathya_226 DIPLOMAT Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Maximum City! Posts: 2,759 Likes (Received): 9	Wait for another 2 years ! Some super speed maglev trains are comin up right here in India! U ppl will get another kinda experience once it is established!

March 24th, 2008, 06:56 PM	#19
Yardmaster Registered Melbourne Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3,847 Likes (Received): 46	and when it's connected from Iran to Thailand ...