A complete guide to Southeast Asia train travel, featuring resources for buying tickets and reviews of rail travel in the region. An introduction to Southeast Asia Railways Travel by train is a great way to experience the landscapes of Southeast Asia, and to meet the people who live here. Personally I think train travel the […]
Hong Kong West Kowloon – The railway station of the Hong Kong – Beijing high-speed railway
December 18, 2018 By 4 Comments
The Hong Kong West Kowloon Station is the terminus of the Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed railway. With the opening of the station in September 2018, it’s now possible to travel from Hong Kong to Beijing in one train trip. Construction began in 2011, which is about the same time that I became a regular visitor to […]
Byron Bay Train – The world’s first solar-power train
December 4, 2018 By 1 Comment
Byron Bay is one of the most visited regional towns in Australia, receiving over 1.5 million visitors annually. It became famous for its surfer and hippy culture in the 60’s, but they long ago got priced out when cashed-up Sydney-siders and Hollywood stars moved in. It still retains an alternative vibe though, with eco-friendly shops […]
Laos Railways – Information on every planned railway
June 15, 2018 By 8 Comments
Laos currently has no railway services, apart from one station near the border that is served by Thai State Railways. This is set to change once the Boten – Vientiane line opens in 2021. There are also some other lines that have been proposed, which would connect Laos to ports in Vietnam, and maybe even […]
The train that will transform Nakhon Ratchasima
February 21, 2018 By 5 Comments
Nakhon Ratchasima (AKA Korat) is the gateway city to the Isaan region of Thailand. Depending on which list you read, Korat is either the biggest city in Thailand after greater Bangkok, or in the top 5. Either way, it’s about the same size as Chiang Mai. Seeing Korat on the map I couldn’t help but […]
Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville by train
January 10, 2018 By 15 Comments
The railway line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville was reopened for passenger services in 2016 after 14 years of being out of action. I’ve been to Phnom Penh numerous times and I have always admired the old train station, hoping that one day that train services would resume. If you want to ride the only […]
An updated map of the future Saigon Metro
November 28, 2017 By 14 Comments
[HCMC Metro Map (download full resolution image here.] Out of all the megacities of Southeast Asia, Saigon is the only city without any form of metro transport. Even the traffic-dystopias of Jakarta and Manila have a few rail lines between them. This will change when the first metro line in Saigon opens sometime after 2020 […]
Southeast Asia current and proposed railways [2017]
October 31, 2017 By 17 Comments
Current and proposed railways of Southeast Asia – every line mapped In 2016 I compiled every current and proposed railway in Southeast Asia and created the Future Southeast Asia Railway Map, which depicted all current and proposed railways as a subway map. [Future Southeast Asia Railway Map – 2016 version (Click for larger image).] I’ve […]
Where I’m At: November, 2016 – Trains on the brain edition
November 4, 2016 By 5 Comments
Where I’m At; a monthly update of what I’ve been up to, site news, and where I’m going next. Where I’ve Been Greetings from Saigon. Since my last update I’ve spent most of the month working on one project. As I’m not travelling so much these days I’ve been working on projects that have been […]
Future Southeast Asia – A map of proposed railways in Southeast Asia
October 24, 2016 By 25 Comments
What would Southeast Asia look like if it had a fully functioning railway network? I have thought about this many times, usually while on a bus ride from hell (Huay Xai to Luang Prabang springs to mind). I envision it to be a cross between China’s high-speed rail network and Europe’s international InterCity services. With […]
