While many opt to fly to their destinations as fast as possible, the journey is often just as enjoyable. Travellers are now looking for an alternative by train to get from A to B. So, come with us as we get on track for a global trip with a few stops, looking at the newest rail services steaming ahead.
New Bangkok-Vientiane rail service
Introduced this summer, a trial train between the Thai capital and the Laos city has been hailed a major success. The service is an extension of the Bangkok-Nong Khai route.
The project from Lao PDR's Vientiane Train Station (Khamsavath) to Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station is part of the two governments’ aim to better connect their rail networks.
The initiative gained traction in October 2023, when Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and Lao PDR Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone met. They inaugurated the Vientiane railway station and explored opportunities for significant expansion.
The outgoing train, Rapid No. 133, departs Bangkok in the evening and arrives in Vientiane the next morning and vice versa for the returning train, Rapid No. 134. The train comprises 30 seats in the second-class air-conditioned sleeper carriage, 64 seats in the second-class air-conditioned carriage, and 152 seats in two of the third-class ordinary carriages with fans.
Upon reaching Vientiane, travellers can explore local tourist attractions or continue their journey using the high-speed China-Laos railway from Vientiane Railway Station to other provinces in Laos or onward to China.
Italy's first luxury train
Reservations have opened for the Spring 2025 launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express, Italy's first luxury train. The service features eight different one-to-two-night itineraries spanning the country.
It is a multi-party partnership between Italian hospitality group Arsenale, Orient Express, Trenitalia, Fondazione FS and Treni Turistici Italiani TTI.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express comes close to the arrival of the first two Orient Express hotels in Rome and Venice. Guests will get access to the La Dolce Vita Orient Express Executive Lounge at Roma Ostiense.
The train's décor incorporates design influences from the 1960s and 1970s La Dolce Vita period in Italy. Three Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck will oversee the cuisine onboard. The La Dolce Vita Orient Express has 12 carriages per train, each accommodating 62 passengers. This houses 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites and one La Dolce Vita Suite.
The trips cover 16,000km of track, including 7,000km of non-electrified railway, spread over 14 regions and 131 cities in Italy.
New high-speed rail link for Las Vegas
The US government has agreed $3 billion in funding for the Brightline West high-speed rail project, connecting Las Vegas to Southern California. It is scheduled to be completed before the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
As the first high-speed rail system in the US, it is part of a planned West Coast Corridor connecting Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. California is scheduled to complete its first 171-mile operating segment in the Central Valley between 2030 and 2033.
Once completed, it is expected to carry over 40 million riders every year at sustained speeds of 186 miles per hour.
Phuket's light railway project
Thailand is investing billions in the first phase of a 42 km link between Chalong Circle interchange and Phuket Airport. The link will have 21 stations.
A second phase will extend for another 16km from Baan Tha Noon in Phang Nga to Baan Muang Mai in Thalang which will feed into a new railway line being constructed at Phang Nga.
The tram system has been on the cards for several years. It was first pencilled in for completion in 2021 but pushed back to 2024. The new service is expected to begin service in 2026.
Glass ceiling in Kashmir
A new innovation is taking shape on the rails of Kashmir. Indian Railways has launched the Vistadome Coach, an all-weather glass-ceiling AC train, enabling passengers to see Kashmir's landscape via a glass carriage for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The Vistadome will run on a 90km track from Banihal in South Kashmir to Budgam in Central Kashmir, providing stunning views of the valley's nature. The Vistadome is fitted with double-wide reclining chairs that can rotate 360 degrees, giving passengers panoramic views.
Rail travel to be boosted in Africa
Construction of the Afrail Express High Speed Rail phase one began this summer (2024) at various sites in different countries. The aim is to connect major cities across Africa at a speed of 431km/h and transport passengers to destinations faster, safer and affordably.
The first stage will connect Cape Town to Casablanca via Windhoek, Luanda, Lusaka, Kinshasa, Lagos and Dakar. It will then run from Casablanca to Cairo via Tripoli, and lastly from Cairo to Cape Town via Nairobi, Kigali, Harare, Gaborone, and Johannesburg. It will cover about 80% of the African population.
When fully operational, Afrail Express will completely revolutionize transport in Africa, serving over 600 million paying passengers between different cities and countries every week.
The Lobito Corridor Trade Facilitation Project envisages 550 km of rail line in Zambia from the Jimbe border to Chingola in the Zambian copper belt. While mainly freight-focused, it will also ease the movement of people with improved services and reduce travel times.
Another project is the Ethiopia-Sudan Railway, which involves the construction of a 1512-km standard gauge railway connecting Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Khartoum in Sudan, with an extension to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. The proposed route is Addis Ababa-Awash-Kombolcha-Weldiya-Wereta-Gonder-Metema-Galabat-Gadarif-Kassala-Haiya-Port of Sudan.
Andy Probert is an experienced freelance business travel journalist and PR specialist.
