Here’s the latest news from Wise Traveller on the train travel across the globe.
Travellers will soon be able to indulge in a new luxury heritage train that promises to transform the rail experience in Thailand. The Blue Jasmine will embark on its maiden journey in November 2025, and is described as a rolling boutique hotel designed to immerse passengers in the nation’s landscapes and culture in comfort and style.
Operated by DTH Travel in collaboration with the State Railway of Thailand, the Blue Jasmine is a restored 1960s Japanese sleeper train once used for long-distance journeys. The train has been reinvented as an exclusive Thai experience, blending nostalgia with contemporary design.
The nine-day itinerary takes travellers from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and back, with carefully curated stops, including the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya, the riverside charm of Uthai Thani, and the temples and palaces of Sukhothai.
The train will pull 10 restored carriages accommodating a maximum of 37 passengers. Guests are encouraged to unwind in the Panorama Lounge, sip craft cocktails and watch Thailand’s landscapes unfold through floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Blue Jasmine offers three cabin categories: Classic, Premium and Premium Suite, each with varying amenities including ensuite bathrooms, private dining spaces and access to a Panorama Lounge. The journey also integrates overnight stays in heritage hotels, ensuring that the immersion continues even off the rails.
Passengers can expect refined menus prepared by top chefs using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, with dishes designed to reflect both Thai culinary traditions and international tastes.
Stefan Bruns, Thailand General Manager at DTH Travel, described the project as “slow travel at its finest, offering passengers the luxury of unhurried discovery, shifting landscapes and deeper cultural connections.”
Ukraine has launched its first railway line with European track width standard, enabling greater integration potential with the European Union. The first railway is a 22km link between Uzhhorod and Chop, near the border to Slovakia.
The line, which uses the EU’s 1,435mm gauge rather than Ukraine’s traditional 1,520mm broad gauge, was funded by a €28.6 million package, mainly backed by European funding.
The move will streamline passengers’ movement to cities such as Košice, Budapest, and Vienna. Officials say it will accelerate trade, support reconstruction, and make rail more competitive with road transport.
The new track is the first phase of a larger plan to extend European-gauge rails deeper into Ukraine to Chernivtsi, Lviv, Kovel, and Kyiv over the next several years.
Links between London and Scotland are to be transformed with the launch of a new train to Glasgow from all-electric operator Lumo. The low-cost firm’s proposed extension of its London King’s Cross to Edinburgh line has been accepted, enabling the Scottish terminus to become Glasgow Queen Street.
The cost to passengers will also be transformed. Up to now, those wishing to travel by train between London and Glasgow have to access Avanti’s West Coast line. Off-peak single fares for the journey can exceed €115, and double at peak times. Lumo’s current London-Edinburgh service is €56, suggesting the Glasgow trip will be as competitive.
However, the journey by Lumo will be longer than Avanti’s 4.51-hour trip. On weekdays, there will be two northbound departures and one southbound. On Sundays, there will be one service each way.
Oktoberfest is almost here, and that means travellers can literally board a “beer train” to take them from Italy to Germany’s world-famous beer extravaganza.
Laid on for two special Oktoberfest dates by Italy’s state-owned FS Treni Turistici Italiani, the Munich Express, or Espresso Monaco, is a Bavarian-themed sleeper train.
FS Treni Turistici Italiani said the Express departs Rome at 8pm on Friday September 26 and Friday October 3, before passing through Florence, Verona, Bologna and the Alps. Other boarding points along the 16-hour route include Trento, Bressanone, Bolzano, Vipiteno, Fortezza, Colle Isarco, and Brennero.
Arrival in the Bavarian capital Munich is at 2:30pm on Saturday, ready for an afternoon and evening of Oktoberfest indulgence, with the return journey leaving on Sunday at 2:30pm and terminating in Rome at 6:30am the next day.
A range of sleeping accommodation is available for those looking to stay fresh, from single and double cabins to four-berth family sleepers. Fare prices start at €99 one-way.
A luxury train, part of Spain’s rail heritage, is marking its 40th anniversary by adding new destinations to its route offering for 2026. The Al Ándalus deploys early 20th-century French-built carriages that once served British royals as they travelled towards the Mediterranean’s Côte d’Azur. Their wood panelling, silk and velvet upholstery, and gentle lighting have been refurbished to align with modern standards of rail accommodation.
Whether passengers choose Deluxe Suites or Grand Class Rooms, they benefit from private bathrooms over a seven-day, six-night adventure accompanied by a multilingual guide and a coach to take them on excursions that are all part of the package.
Trips run from Madrid to Seville or vice versa, and stops include Campo de Criptana and its windmills made famous by Cervantes’ Don Quixote. There are opportunities to see UNESCO sites such as the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, Córdoba’s Mosque-Cathedral and its unique blend of Islamic and Christian architecture, the ballet dancing horses of Jerez, and Mérida’s Roman ruins.
Gastronomy is also part of the all-inclusive experience, with breakfasts, lunches, and dinners either on board or in local establishments. Menus and tastings promise sought-after produce, including artisanal cheese, Jabugo Iberian ham, high-end olive oil, and sherry.
Golden Eagle has launched a new luxury train service that begins in Vietnam and continues into China, offering travellers a high-end journey filled with cultural experiences and scenic landscapes.
The 14-day Treasures of the East itinerary starts aboard the Vietnam Express, a train designed with Indochine flair, ensuite cabins, and a 24-hour bistro. Guests enjoy premium service and seamless comfort.
After crossing into China, passengers transfer to the Golden Eagle Silk Road Express for the second leg of the journey. This transition maintains the luxurious atmosphere and continues through diverse regions.
The route highlights major cities including Hoi An, Hanoi, and Shanghai. Golden Eagle has curated immersive excursions such as a speedboat trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and a private Lijiang River cruise.
Other highlights include a jeep safari in Ninh Binh, a porcelain-making workshop, and a traditional Wuyi Mountain tea ceremony. Each activity enhances the connection to local culture.
Tim Littler, President of Golden Eagle, says the journey was crafted to be sensory and soul-stirring.
To mark its 35th anniversary, Golden Eagle plans to launch more routes in 2026. These include the 22-day Grand Silk Road and the China and Tibet Rail Discovery adventure, covering 6,500km from Beijing to Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva.
Japan’s Hokkaido Railway Company has confirmed plans to launch two new tourist train services, the Red Star and Blue Star, across the country’s northernmost island in 2027.
The Red Star will begin in February 2027 and line up with the drift ice season along the Sea of Okhotsk. Expect a two-day round trip between JR Sapporo and Abashiri stations, before the route switches from April to July to run between JR Kushiro and Shiretoko-Shari.
The Blue Star will operate from June to September, coinciding with Hokkaido’s lavender season, linking JR Asahikawa and Biei with JR Furano. The service will resume in winter, running twice daily between January and March 2028, on the JR Abashiri and Shiretoko Shari route.
Andy Probert is an independent journalist who writes about global travel news, airlines, airports, and business. His work has appeared globally on the BBC, and in many national newspapers and magazines.
