Trans-Iranian Railway reveals a tapestry of landscapes
Stretching between the glittering shores of the Caspian Sea and the fertile plains of the Persian Gulf, the 866-mile Trans-Iranian Railway is hailed as one of the greatest engineering marvels of the 20th century. Inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021, the railway knits together a striking tapestry of landscapes, from the towering buildings of the capital to the tombs and mosques of Qom to the nomadic dwellings of the Zagros Mountains. [nationalgeographic.com]
Aberdeen to Penzance via Britain’s longest train journey
Once a week, a train pulls out of Aberdeen station and heads south. Over the next 13 hours and 19 minutes it travels 774 miles, the greatest distance covered by any train in Britain. After proceeding down the east coast as far as Newcastle, it heads south to York, then trundles south-west across the Midlands and on to Bristol, finally making its way to Penzance on the western tip of Cornwall via the south coast of Devon. The full journey is always made in that direction – for maintenance reasons, no service goes all the way north. [theguardian.com]
San Francisco to Chicago on Amtrak’s California Zephyr
Just hours after boarding the sleek, silver bullet that is Amtrak’s California Zephyr in Emeryville station, just outside San Francisco, I’ve crossed the Sacramento Valley’s farmlands and hit the snow-dusted Sierra Nevada. There’s something wonderful about seeing snow flurries swirling outside, from a sleeper car’s cosy confines. And as growing numbers of travelers look for more sustainable modes of transport than flying, I wanted to see for myself if trains could be a better option, for international visitors on multi-destination trips. [travelweekly.co.uk]
Take an incredible train across the Australian Outback
While people tend to think that the Australian Outback is a pretty desolate, barren and dangerous place, it’s also totally spectacular. With its tens of thousands of orange-hued square miles, replete with scraggy bush and the occasional dramatic rock formation, it is hands down one of the world’s most beautiful landscapes. For almost 100 years, there’s been one unbeatably luxurious way to traverse the Outback. The Ghan express has long been the comfiest way to explore Australia’s uber-hot, semi-arid interior. [timeout.com]
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