New Laos railway fills gap in world’s longest train route
The opening of the new high-speed train line in Laos has filled the last gap in what is now the longest continuous railway route in the world – spanning over some 18,820 kilometers.
The new route allows travel from Lagos in southern Portugal to Singapore via Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Ulanbataar, Beijing, Kunming, Vientiane, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Experts estimate completing the full journey would take 21 days.
Still, the route remains hypothetical and a lot of transfers would have to be done on the way, but it is possible, rail expert Mark Smith says on his webpage seat61.com.
Before now, a continuous train journey on this route would have ended in Vietnam and only gone on for around 16,898 kilometers. To then travel to Singapore, passengers would have had to catch a bus from Ho Chi Minh City through Cambodia to Bangkok and continue their train ride from there.
Visas, paperwork, station hopping
However, the new route comes with a few difficulties. Since travelers on this monumental trip would cross through 13 different countries, a number of visas would be necessary, depending on one’s passport. Some hops across cities to different railway stations would also be needed, and paperwork to purchase tickets can also be expected at some locations. All this requires meticulous planning.
Traveling the distance by train would significantly reduce the carbon emissions of the journey. A one-way flight from Lisbon to Singapore would emit an average of 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. In comparison, making the long journey by train would emit roughly 0.08 tonnes.
Much more time and money needed compared to a flight
But still, the 21 days travel time including overnight stops are for people with a lot of spare time. The shortest flight time for a Lisbon-Singapore flight is 16 hours and 25 minutes with one stop (there are no direct flights), and the cheapest one-way ticket can be had for below $500, as compared to tickets for the entire rail trip that would cost around $1,350.
Those who are anyway interested in doing the epic journey should be aware that some of the trains on the route are currently not operating due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The two longest legs, the Paris-Moscow Express and Moscow to Beijing are temporarily suspended which means that train enthusiasts would have to wait until travel restrictions are fully lifted.
[caption id="attachment_37906" align="alignnone" width="640"] The world's longest railway route now runs over more than 18,800 kilometers[/caption] The opening of the new high-speed train line in Laos has filled the last gap in what is now the longest continuous railway route in the world – spanning over some 18,820 kilometers. The new route allows travel from Lagos in southern Portugal to Singapore via Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Ulanbataar, Beijing, Kunming, Vientiane, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Experts estimate completing the full journey would take 21 days. Still, the route remains hypothetical and a lot of transfers would have to be done on the...
The opening of the new high-speed train line in Laos has filled the last gap in what is now the longest continuous railway route in the world – spanning over some 18,820 kilometers.
The new route allows travel from Lagos in southern Portugal to Singapore via Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Ulanbataar, Beijing, Kunming, Vientiane, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Experts estimate completing the full journey would take 21 days.
Still, the route remains hypothetical and a lot of transfers would have to be done on the way, but it is possible, rail expert Mark Smith says on his webpage seat61.com.
Before now, a continuous train journey on this route would have ended in Vietnam and only gone on for around 16,898 kilometers. To then travel to Singapore, passengers would have had to catch a bus from Ho Chi Minh City through Cambodia to Bangkok and continue their train ride from there.
Visas, paperwork, station hopping
However, the new route comes with a few difficulties. Since travelers on this monumental trip would cross through 13 different countries, a number of visas would be necessary, depending on one’s passport. Some hops across cities to different railway stations would also be needed, and paperwork to purchase tickets can also be expected at some locations. All this requires meticulous planning.
Traveling the distance by train would significantly reduce the carbon emissions of the journey. A one-way flight from Lisbon to Singapore would emit an average of 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. In comparison, making the long journey by train would emit roughly 0.08 tonnes.
Much more time and money needed compared to a flight
But still, the 21 days travel time including overnight stops are for people with a lot of spare time. The shortest flight time for a Lisbon-Singapore flight is 16 hours and 25 minutes with one stop (there are no direct flights), and the cheapest one-way ticket can be had for below $500, as compared to tickets for the entire rail trip that would cost around $1,350.
Those who are anyway interested in doing the epic journey should be aware that some of the trains on the route are currently not operating due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The two longest legs, the Paris-Moscow Express and Moscow to Beijing are temporarily suspended which means that train enthusiasts would have to wait until travel restrictions are fully lifted.
