The UK's longest train journey, a 14-hour marathon from Cornwall to Scotland, is a must-do for rail enthusiasts, say experts. The epic journey has been running for over a century and includes stops at 36 stations.
It offers passengers the chance to explore a host of fascinating destinations such as Edinburgh Waverley, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol Parkway and Plymouth. Operated by CrossCountry, the direct train takes precisely 13 hours and 16 minutes, with a single ticket setting travellers back a hefty £265.
Rail enthusiast Lewis Yeardley, 24, who embarked on the trip in April, told Aberdeen Live: "It's a journey that I've known about for a long time if I'm honest and it's one I always wanted to do. I absolutely love railway journeys and have done many around the world and I had to complete the UK's longest journey by train."
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He added: "My highlights of the journey included crossing some amazing bridges such as Tay Bridge, Forth Rail Bridge and the Royal Albert Bridge.", reports Plymouth Live.
"We also went along some beautiful coastlines such as the Fife coast, east coast and Dawlish seawall. The journey was made enjoyable by the amazing staff onboard who were chatty, friendly and just great."
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The train enthusiast offered some advice for those planning to embark on the journey. He recommended packing plenty of snacks, downloading a good selection of films and music, and choosing a seat on the left side of the train for the best views.
While this journey from Cornwall to Scotland - or vice-versa - is lengthy, there are even longer train rides outside of the UK. The Trans-Siberian Express, for instance, covers a staggering 5,772 miles over more than six days.
This epic journey begins in Moscow and concludes in Vladivostok, more than six days later. Along the way, the train traverses numerous time zones and passes through diverse landscapes, including the Ural Mountains and Lake Baikal.
Despite being significantly shorter, the longest high-speed train journey is held by the Beijing-Guangzhou Bullet Train. This route spans 1,200 miles and was inaugurated in 2012, reducing the 21-hour journey to just eight hours by reaching speeds of up to 186 miles per hour.
The train makes 35 stops, many of which are in major cities like Wuhan. Another notably long journey is the Vivek Express in India, which takes over 80 hours. This is one of the world's longest train journeys, covering approximately 2,650 miles at an average speed of just 32 miles per hour.
The train makes 57 stops in total, starting in the far north at Dibrugarh and ending in Kanyakumari, at the southernmost tip of India.You can look at booking the train journey on Cross Country's website or on Trainline here.
