If you're a fan of train travel, then check out the latest Wise Traveller news on the rails from around the world:
Turkiye: The highly popular Touristic Eastern Express will make 70 trips over the coming winter season between Ankara and Kars, giving passengers a chance to explore historical sites, cultural heritage, and lesser-seen landscapes.
The train will offer 35 services in each direction. The Ankara-Kars leg will run from December 21, 2026 to March 10, 2027, with the return services operating from December 23 to March 12.
Trains from Ankara depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while the Kars outbound service departs on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
The Eastern Express offers unique sightseeing stops such as Erzincan and Erzurum from Ankara, and İliç, Divriği, and Sivas on the return service, allowing passengers to explore their historical and cultural significance.
Tickets, which usually sell out very quickly, are available from October 26 through sales channels of TCDD Taşımacılık, Türkiye's state railway passenger transport operator.
Germany: Nox Mobility is a new overnight sleeper train operating between Hamburg and Munich that will begin service in March 2027.
Nox will run three times a week in each direction between Hamburg and Munich, with one-way tickets from 65 euros. For that touch of luxury, the initial thrice-weekly service will offer Nox Suites: airline-style flatbeds that are a seat by day and a bed by night, with private screens similar to business-class seats on airlines.
The train stops in Bremen and Augsburg, at each city's main station. According to Berliner Zeitung, southbound trains run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and northbound trains on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
Nox is prioritising reliability over speed: the timetable includes a two-hour buffer, and the train averages around 70km an hour. Fares start at €65 and booking is via noxmobility.com.
Asia: Rail journeys across Asia will expand thanks to the work of DTH Travel.
Advocating slow travel and lower-carbon tourism, DTH Travel is following on from its eight-day Peninsular Train Surfing itinerary, which begins in Singapore before travelling by rail through Johor Bahru, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang, with more exciting additions.
Thanks to the positive response to the Blue Jasmine Train in Thailand, which began last November, Group director of sales Marjorie Aquino said, in an interview with TTG Asia, that more itineraries will be designed to encourage visitors to engage more deeply with local communities and culture.
"Our programmes are really personal and hands-on. Travellers really get to experience the place and the people, not just take photos and leave," she said. "We want to promote responsible tourism with authentic local experiences, so we only work with competent tour guides with expertise in the local communities."
The Blue Jasmine Train journey has scheduled departures in November and December this year, and in the first three months of 2027. A shorter four-day version, From Bangkok to the Mekong: Tracing Thailand's Silk Legacy, will be launched soon.
Europe: Rail operator European Sleeper has begun a new night service from Brussels to Milan, via Cologne and Switzerland. The service operates three times a week in each direction and is seeking to meet demand for night trains as travellers seek a slower, lower-carbon way to travel.
The operator already has a Brussels–Prague route in its portfolio, and has also introduced a Paris–Berlin service. The company is weighing further expansion, such as a night service from Brussels to Denmark and Sweden, terminating in Malmö.
UAE: Travellers can embark on a rail service like no other with the United Arab Emirates' launch of its Etihad Rail passenger services.
The UAE's first public passenger services offer three non-stop round trips per day between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, with a journey time of 1 hour 59 minutes. A single journey costs around $15 in comfort class and more for a seat in premium class.
Customers can book tickets through various channels, such as the Etihad Rail mobile app.
Thailand: The Bangkok Post has revealed that the Ministry of Transport is planning to upgrade the country's railway sector by developing world-class luxury train services.
A report said a top-level delegation, including Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, met executives from Minor International, one of the largest hospitality, restaurant, and lifestyle companies in Asia-Pacific, to discuss plans for a luxury tourist train project.
The meeting looked at ways to create a premium rail tourism experience aimed at generating sustainable revenue for the SRT while stimulating grassroots economic activity across the country.
Phiphat said the project would maximise the use of Thailand's rail infrastructure, attract high-spending international travellers, and channel tourism revenue to local communities along railway routes.
Europe: The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is to add the prestigious location of Monte Carlo to its itinerary of destinations from May 2027.
The new journey will depart from Paris and follow the spectacular coastline of the French Riviera, with fares starting at EUR 4,870 per person for one night on board.
Operator Belmond said the first journey on the new route is scheduled for May 10 2027, and the route will become an annual fixture in the train's timetable. Passengers will be able to travel the route, experiencing the Côte d'Azur region.
The price includes one night on board, the constant service of a railcar attendant, meals served on the train, wines selected by the sommelier, soft drinks and the transfers included in the package. Passengers can choose between historic cabins, luxury suites and Grand Suites, with differences in size, facilities and level of comfort.
India: Following the emergence of the 16-coach Vande Bharat sleeper trains, Indian Railways is now looking to create a 24-coach train for longer-distance coverage.
Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai has been tasked with manufacturing 50 Vande Bharat sleeper trains with 24 coaches.
The aim is to introduce more than 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains over the coming years as it seeks to transform long-distance rail travel. The rollout timeframe for the new sleeper train is scheduled for early to mid-2027.
Andy Probert is a British-born, Cyprus-based journalist who covers aviation, hotels, travel, and various topics for publications worldwide.
