One of the more unusual tourist attractions to emerge in Hanoi is the Hanoi train street. This “street” is more of a passageway that has a single railway line passing through it. There are houses on either side with barely enough room for the train to pass through. The railway is not fenced off, so […]
Hanoi Train Street – An infrastructure anomaly that’s become an Instagram sensation
August 19, 2019 By 5 Comments
Hanoi to Haiphong by train
August 14, 2019 By Leave a Comment
The Hanoi-Haiphong railway is one of the few railway lines in Vietnam that is not part of the main north-south railway. Originally this line was part of the Yunnan-Haiphong Railway that was built by France between 1904–1910. Haiphong is the closest seaport to Hanoi so it’s always been an important access point for Hanoi. Haiphong […]
Jungle Railway in Malaysia – The best train times and most scenic sections
June 6, 2019 By 13 Comments
The Jungle Railway The Jungle Railway is one of the great train journeys of Southeast Asia, spanning the length of Peninsula Malaysia through its rugged interior. Officially known as the East Coast Railway Line (ECRL), the Jungle Railway travels from Johor Bahru near the Singapore-Malaysia border in the south, to Tumpat near the Thailand border […]
Getting the train in the troubled deep south of Thailand
April 25, 2019 By 1 Comment
As a frequent traveller to Thailand I’m familiar with the troubles of the deep south of Thailand, where many countries have advisories to not travel there. As part of my Southeast Asia railway project I took a train through the southern provinces. This is my trip report and what to expect. What this isn’t is […]
Bangkok to Trang by train, and onward connections to the Trang Islands
April 22, 2019 By 1 Comment
Getting the train from Bangkok to Trang in Southern Thailand is a great way to get the Trang Islands. Sleeper trains depart Bangkok every evening, arriving in Trang at a reasonable hour in the morning. From the train station you can then get minivans to the pier for boats to the islands. There are two […]
Bang Sue Grand Station construction update – The future central station of Bangkok
March 28, 2019 By 3 Comments
Bang Sue Grand Station is the future central station of Bangkok, replacing Hua Lamphong as Thailand’s railway hub. If you’ve caught a train to or from Bangkok recently you might have noticed this as you passed though Bang Sue station. Indeed, it’s hard not to miss as it’s the biggest construction site in Thailand. The […]
Bangkok to Chiang Mai by train – best train times to see some of the highlights of Thailand
February 5, 2019 By 4 Comments
The train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is a great way to travel between the two cities, but depending on your travels it’s not always the best way. With some planning by picking the right trains you can save money and see some of the highlights of Thailand. Bangkok to Chiang Mai – train, bus, […]
A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia
February 1, 2019 By 12 Comments
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 […]
How to get from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur by train
November 27, 2018 By 9 Comments
Getting the train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur used to be a straight-forward affair. The train would leave from Tanjong Pagar railway station (near downtown Singapore), clear immigration for both countries at Woodlands, and then continue on the same train to Kuala Lumpur. I did this journey in 2009 and it was a great way […]
The Green Corridor – Singapore’s former railway line that’s now a walking path
September 26, 2018 By 8 Comments
I’m a big fan of urban walking, and Singapore – being the urban planning masters that they are – are planning to create one of the world’s greatest walks along a former railway. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur were once connected by a direct railway, which ran from Keppel Road near Downtown Singapore to the Kuala […]
