Top10: The Longest Train Journeys

Boarding a train as it leaves the station or a ship as it departs from the dock marks the beginning of a new experience, filled with places to discover and unexpected encounters. Travel thus becomes a balance between the desire to explore and the need to pause, between motion and rest.

The great train journeys embody this idea perfectly: crossing continents by rail means experiencing the journey at every stage, watching the landscape slowly change outside the window. From the vastness of Siberia along the Trans-Siberian Railway to the Australian expanses traveled by the Indian Pacific, each route has a unique story to tell.

The longest train journey in the world is the Trans-Siberian Railway, which connects Moscow to Vladivostok over 9'289 kilometers, crossing eight time zones and offering a wide variety of landscapes. One of its variants is the Trans-Mongolian Railway, stretching 7'622 kilometers from Moscow to Beijing, passing through Mongolia and the Gobi Desert. Another alternative route is the Trans-Manchurian Railway, which links Moscow to Beijing via Manchuria, covering the same distance but without passing through Mongolia.

In North America, one of the longest train journeys is The Canadian, running 4'466 kilometers from Toronto to Vancouver, crossing diverse natural regions including the Rocky Mountains and the prairies. In Australia, the Indian Pacific covers 4'352 kilometers from Sydney to Perth, passing through the Nullarbor Plain, known for having the longest straight railway track in the world. Also in Australia, the Ghan travels 2'979 kilometers from Adelaide to Darwin, crossing the country’s interior and passing through a variety of landscapes.

In India, the Vivek Express is the longest train journey in the country, covering 4'273 kilometers from Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari, connecting the far northeast to the southernmost tip of India. In China, the Shanghai-Lhasa Train runs 4'373 kilometers to Tibet, traveling on one of the highest railways in the world.

In the United States, the California Zephyr connects Chicago to San Francisco over 3'924 kilometers, passing through mountainous and desert regions with highly varied landscapes. Finally, in South Africa, the Blue Train, running 1'600 kilometers between Pretoria and Cape Town, is known for its high-end services and a route that crosses some of the country's distinctive natural areas.