Two hundred years after the first passenger train rolled down the tracks, these iconic rail journeys still inspire awe and wonder.
On 27 September 1825, reporters and onlookers from across England flocked to the market town of Darlington to witness a groundbreaking innovation in travel. On this day, hundreds of paying customers squeezed into one of 20 wagons on the Stockton and Darlington Railway as the steam-powered train trundled 40km down the tracks to the town of Stockton. This short, historic journey marked the very first public passenger train, and the beginning of the modern railway.
Two hundred years later, trains crisscross the globe, from slow-moving vintage rides to futuristic high-speed commuter trains. Though air travel became more popular than rail journeys across much of the world in the 1950s and ’60s, trains still evoke a sense of nostalgia and wonder for many travellers, and riding the rails remains one of the most environmentally friendly forms of transportation.
In honour of the train’s bicentennial, here are some of the most beautiful and iconic rail routes around the world to help inspire your next journey.
Spain’s 135-year-old scenic British train line through ‘bandit country’
Known as “Mr Henderson’s Railway”, this Victorian-era time capsule that chugs through the Andalusian countryside was created by an interesting moment in British and Spanish history. The route is named after British railway financier, Sir Alexander Henderson, who funded the project in 1892 as a way to link British-controlled Gibraltar with the rest of Spain. Previous attempts to link the port at Algeciras with the heart of Andalusiaby rail had failed in part because the forests and hills the railway now traverses were once filled with bandits. Today, the train passes through remote mountainsides and stops at some of the region’s natural wonders, such as the 100m-high Cañón de las Buitreras (Vultures’ Canyon).
A 58-tunnel slow train through India’s Eastern Ghats
The Visakhapatnam Kirandul Passenger Special takes visitors on a winding four-hour slow train journey through India’s lush Eastern Ghats. Featuring 58 tunnels, each punctuated by the raucous cheering of riders, the route travels through misty mountains and oak forests before ending in the town of Araku, where visitors can delve into the area’s burgeoning coffee industry.
Central Europe’s newest hop-on hop-off train
Explore some of Central Europe’s most vibrant cities on the newly launched Baltic Express. The hop-on hop-off route travels from Prague through pine forests and oak woods to the coastal town of Gdynia, Poland. The eight-hour journey allows travellers the opportunity to explore some of the lesser-known jewels of the region, such as Pardubice, with its pastel-coloured townhouses and distinctly Czech church steeples, or the Polish cultural capital of Poznan, whose historic town square is fit for a Disney film.
An iconic jaunt across Japan at top speed
Japan’s Shinkansen train, better known as the “bullet train”, turned 60 in 2024. Clocking in at speeds of up to 321kph, it was the world’s first high-speed rail line and is known as much for its to-the-minute precision as it is for its speed. The train has had a massive impact on travel in Japan, and 60 years later there are now nine different Shinkansen routes that whisk passengers across the country. The newest of these is the Tokaido Shinkansen, dubbed the New Golden Route, which travels from Tokyo to Tsuruga.
Discover the history of Mexico’s favourite spirit by rail
Tequila tourism is on the rise in Mexico, and the newly relaunched Tequila Express train offers a unique way for visitors to learn more about one of the country’s most popular exports, while also getting a view of seemingly endless rows of the spikey blue-green succulents that make up Jalisco’s agave fields. The two-hour journey begins in the city of Guadalajara and ends in the town of Tequila, where legend has it the spirit was first invented.
A nostalgic train ride through Portugal
The Vouga Historical Train offers a quaint ride through the rolling hillsides of Portugal’s Vouga Valley on a 1964 Basque Railway diesel locomotive, the country’s only remaining narrow-gauge railway. The colourful wooden carriages – painted in glossy red, hunter green and royal blue, with mint green interiors and varnished dark wood seats, also feature open-air platforms that allow passengers to get some air during the six-hour journey. The train, which only runs in the summer, stops in several towns including Macinhata do Vouga, where riders are greeted by a 10-piece folk band in regional dress, and Águeda, a colourful artistic city known for its urban artworks, installations and performances.
The British Isles’ only electric mountain railway
Journey high above the Irish Sea on the Snaefell Mountain Railway, which traverses the mountains above the Isle of Man. The only electric mountain railway in the British Isles, this train – along with the Manx Electric Railway – was integral in bringing tourism to the island in 1893 when it first opened. Today, both electric lines still retain much of their original Victorian-era features, such as wooden interiors, glazed vestibules and mirrored panels.
Scotland’s most remote railway adventure
The rugged and remote beauty of the Scottish Highlands is on full display on the Far North Line from Inverness to Thurso. The four-hour ride covers 168 miles through The Flow Country: the largest intact peat system in the world, and the only one designated a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Explore the beauty of the Gulf Coast with the newly restored Mardi Gras Service
Two decades after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, Amtrak resumed service on the Gulf Coast line on 18 August 2025. Now called the Mardi Gras Service, the train winds through coastal wetlands, stunning beaches and colourful seaside towns, linking several of the southern US’s most storied cities, like Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana, along the way.
Sourse: BBC
