The longest railway line in the world now exceeds 18,800 kilometers The opening of Laos’ new high-speed rail line fills the last gap in the world’s longest continuous rail line-spanning approximately 18,820 kilometers. The new route allows travel from Lagos in southern Portugal to Singapore via Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Ulaanbaatar, Beijing, Kunming, Vientiane, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Experts estimate that it will take 21 days to complete the entire journey. Nevertheless, the route is still hypothetical and must be in…
The opening of Laos’ new high-speed rail line fills the last gap in the world’s longest continuous rail line-spanning approximately 18,820 kilometers.
The new route allows travel from Lagos in southern Portugal to Singapore via Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Ulaanbaatar, Beijing, Kunming, Vientiane, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Experts estimate that it will take 21 days to complete the entire journey.
Despite this, the route is still hypothetical and a lot of transfers must be made on the way, but it is possible, railway expert Mark Smith said on his website Seat 61.com.
Prior to this, the continuous train journey on this route will end in Vietnam, traveling only about 16,898 kilometers. Then to Singapore, passengers must take a bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok via Cambodia, and then continue to take the train from there.
Visa, paperwork, station change
However, this new route has some difficulties. Since travelers on this landmark trip will travel through 13 different countries, some visas are required depending on the passport. It also requires some hopping across the city to different train stations, and in some places the paperwork for buying tickets. All this requires careful planning.
Traveling by train will greatly reduce carbon emissions during the journey. A one-way flight from Lisbon to Singapore emits an average of 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. In comparison, long-distance travel by train will emit approximately 0.08 tons.
It requires more time and money than flying
However, the 21-day travel time including overnight stay is still suitable for people who have a lot of free time. The shortest flight time for the Lisbon-Singapore flight is 16 hours and 25 minutes per station (no direct flight), and the cheapest one-way ticket can be less than US$500, which will cost approximately US$1,350 compared to the ticket for the entire rail journey.
Those interested in the epic journey should know that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some trains on this route are currently out of service. The two longest lines, the Paris-Moscow Express and the Moscow-Beijing train are temporarily suspended, which means that train enthusiasts will have to wait until travel restrictions are completely lifted.
