Five of the world’s best new (or revamped) train journeys

From luxurious designer carriages to airline-style pods, here are five impressive new rail routes to explore.

On track for a slice of Italy’s sweet life

Coast to Coast (via Venice and Portofino)

• Start Rome
• Finish Rome
• Duration Three days

Sud Italia: Maratea and Taormina

• Start Palermo
• Finish Rome
• Duration Three days

The resplendent La Dolce Vita suite on The Orient Express.

What happened to the fabulously luxurious carriages of the Orient Express? It was a mystery worthy of Agatha Christie, who set her most famous book aboard this train, which linked Paris to Istanbul between 1883 and 1977. So, French historian Arthur Mettetal began his hunt. Though some were in museums and others were part of the revived Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express luxury train, he discovered a number of original carriages on an obscure siding in eastern Poland, and a new version of the Orient Express was born.

From these rolling treasures, hotel giant Accor has crafted La Dolce Vita Orient Express, which will soon commence journeys through Italy. The historic carriages have had a complete refit courtesy of architecture and design studio Dimorestudio, with interiors referencing 20th-century Italian design.

There are two types of accommodation onboard: cabins and suites. Cabins are warm and welcoming spaces with carpeted floors, timber ceilings and en suites. Suites are larger and are equipped with a sofa, table, two armchairs and a bathroom. Tones of orange, terracotta and purple sit well with brass elements, complemented by smoked mirror walls, a lacquered ceiling and stylish light fixtures. Each evening comes “the great transformation”, as the train company calls it, when the sofa unfolds into a double bed, and the footstools are converted into coffee tables.

Other spaces include the bar car, which features curved lounges and serves expertly created cocktails. The dining car is similarly delightful. Meals are served on tablecloths set with vintage silverware and Italian earthenware and are accompanied by regional wines.

It’s easy to focus on the train, resplendent as it is, but what of the itineraries? There are eight in all, from one to two nights in duration, ranging across Italy from north to south. One of the best is the two-night coast-to-coast journey, which starts in Rome, heads north-east to Venice, crosses Italy to Portofino, and then returns to the capital. En route are off-train excursions, including a private art experience in Venice. Another appealing two-night option is the Palermo to Rome itinerary, which begins on the island of Sicily, crosses to the mainland to call at Maratea, a beautiful village facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, and then heads to Rome. Each trip is a neat balance of beauty within and without, courtesy of an exceptional train. See orient-express.com

Take your time across the wide brown land

• Start Perth
• Finish Sydney
• Duration Five days

A rail journey to remember.Credit: Andrew Gregory

For the first time since it began operating more than half a century ago, the Indian Pacific is extending its crossing of Australia eastbound, from Perth to Sydney, with four nights of travel, rather than the previous three. It’s an all-inclusive rail cruise, and the new 2025 timetable enables more convenient and appealing off-train excursions.

Departing Perth on a Saturday afternoon allows a tour of the gold-mining city Kalgoorlie on the following morning, including a visit to the massive Super Pit. Later that night, there’s a stop at Nullarbor ghost town Cook for a stargazing experience; the following afternoon and evening are occupied by tastings and dinner at a Barossa Valley winery. The train calls at Broken Hill on day four, with a choice of cultural tours, and the final day offers a Blue Mountains adventure. With a new Gold Premium class of accommodation available, this new itinerary should be a rail journey to remember. See journeybeyondrail.com.au/indian-pacific

Endless Scandi days and nights

• Start Oslo, Norway
• Finish Bodo, Norway
• Duration 12 days

Ride through rugged country on the Rauma Railway.

It was difficult terrain for railway engineers, but Norway’s mix of mountains and fjords is a delight to view from a train. The Arctic Circle Express, a 12-day rail tour, takes in the Scandinavian nation’s most impressive railways and its spectacular scenery. Starting in Oslo, passengers ride the lofty Bergen Railway, staying overnight at a historic hotel at the line’s highest point. The next highlight is the Flam Railway, Europe’s steepest line, followed by a fjord cruise.

A ride through the rugged country on the Rauma Railway is followed by a visit to Trondheim, with its colourful traditional houses. The final two days are spent on the Nordland Railway’s Polar Express train, which crosses the Arctic Circle on its way to Bodo bathed in the light of the midnight sun. A new option is a three-day extension to the even more northerly Ofoten Railway, which connects Narvik to Sweden. See upnorway.com

Back to the future, Nikko-style

• Start Tokyo, Japan
• Finish Kinugawa-Onsen, Japan
• Duration Two hours

Tobu Railway runs between Tokyo’s Asakusa Station and the Nikko region.

When a new tourist train is devised, its makers tend to reach for Victorian-era designs from the golden age of railways. Not so the designers of Japan’s Tobu Railway, who have crafted a beautiful train with a unique style: the Spacia X. Running between Tokyo’s Asakusa Station and the Nikko region with its World Heritage-listed sites and popular thermal baths, this train’s sleekly curving carriages have a futuristic vibe, but it’s more complex than that.

Each of the six carriages bears a different design style, frequently incorporating the geometric patterns used in kumiko, a traditional woodworking craft, while the faint blue tint to the train’s white exterior represents the sheen of ceramics. In an end carriage, there’s a cafe serving food and drink from the Nikko region, adding to the flavour of a rail journey imbued with pure Japanese style. See tobu.co.jp/spaciax

Mountainous landscapes in Laos

• Start Vientiane, Laos
• Finish Boten, Laos
• Duration Three hours

This smooth ride runs through 75 tunnels and over 167 bridges through fabulously rugged scenery of humped mountains and sluggish rivers.

For most of its history, the South-East Asian country of Laos lacked appeal to train lovers, with very little track running through its mountainous landscape. However, in December 2021, the Lao section of the Laos-China Railway, which connects the Laotian capital Vientiane to the southern Chinese city of Kunming, opened. In Laos, it passes lush foliage and craggy mountains, stopping at traveller favourites such as Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.

Fast trains take three hours to zip from Vientiane to Boten on the Chinese border, with Luang Prabang just two hours by rail from the capital. Seating is available in business, first and second class, with business seating the most luxurious in airline-style pods. Top tip: the best scenery is on the section between Vientiane and Vang Vieng; the stretch onward to Luang Prabang contains many tunnels. See 12go.asia

Q&A: TIM NOBLE, THE LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN CHEF, JOURNEY BEYOND

My job involves... travelling across and through the middle of Australia on Journey Beyond’s iconic trains. There are early mornings and late nights, working and cooking with local and indigenous ingredients, giving our guests a taste of Australia while travelling across one of the world’s largest continents.

My definition of a great journey is... when our guests get truly involved with the journey and immerse themselves in all that is on offer and finish the journey really feeling like they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Journey Beyond’s Tim Noble.

My greatest journey ever was... when actor Margot Robbie and her family travelled with us from Adelaide to Darwin. I didn’t get to meet her but it was exciting to have a celebrity of her status on board. I think she liked the food we dished up for her, too.

The most amazing thing I’ve ever seen on a journey is … a herd of water buffalo between Katherine and Darwin. They really are majestic animals and a couple of them stopped in their tracks and stared at the train. I wonder if they saw us staring back at them?

The great journey I still really want to do one day is... visiting Europe to take in the culture and buildings, particularly in France, Spain and Greece. I would love to travel on European trains as well.

The world’s next great journey destination is... Costa Rica, where the rainforests meet the ocean. It seems to have a lot to offer, from rainforest and jungles to white-sand beaches. There’s a lot of wildlife to be spotted, too. And the food is all based around local fresh produce, which has to be a good thing.

My best tip for getting the most from a great journey is... sit back, relax, let go of all expectations, and allow yourself to become a part of this absolutely amazing experience. See journeybeyondrail.com
Interview by Sue Williams