Trivia: Longest possible train journey?

[Albion91]

Hi,

I'm new - so sorry if this is in the wrong place.

I was thinking: What would be the longest possible train journey in the world?

Rules:
1) Distance is measured as the crow flies from start point to end point (i.e. NOT miles actually travelled on the train)

2) You may change trains, but you may not travel between stations except by train. (Not sure about whether metros/light rail should count)

 

[najaB]

I was thinking: What would be the longest possible train journey in the world?

Does anything beat Beijing-Moscow currently?

 

[TheKnightWho]

Does anything beat Beijing-Moscow currently?

Moscow-Vladivostok.

 

[Liam]

Is there still a fortnightly Moscow-Pyongyang service?

 

[najaB]

Moscow-Vladivostok.

Good point - nearly 400 miles further.

 

[Albion91]

Would it be possible to change at Moscow Yaroslavskaya and get to Western Europe? (Without leaving the station on foot?)

 

[najaB]

Would it be possible to change at Moscow Yaroslavskaya and get to Western Europe? (Without leaving the station on foot?)

It doesn't appear so, based on a quick Internet search.

 

[TheKnightWho]

Is there still a fortnightly Moscow-Pyongyang service?

Oh yes - I completely forgot about that one!

 

[NicholasNCE]

Would it be possible to change at Moscow Yaroslavskaya and get to Western Europe? (Without leaving the station on foot?)

I believe trains for the west leave from Moskva Belorusskaja (Belarus), 3.5 miles away: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/R...1c1ab126a94e9!2m2!1d37.581847!2d55.777094!3e2

 

[Chris999999]

Getting round Moscow is easy to the south. Something like Omsk - Nishnij Novgorod - Moskva Kurskaja - Kursk - Berlin.

Sovetskaya Gavan looks to be further East and North as a starting point.

Then it just a question of the furthest West and South, so maybe Lagos in Portugal.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Interestingly, Algeceiras Spain is only about half a mile less than Lagos, so as these measurements are to city centres and not railway stations, either could be longest.

Something for the OP to do!

 

[TheKnightWho]

Getting round Moscow is easy to the south. Something like Omsk - Nishnij Novgorod - Moskva Kurskaja - Kursk - Berlin.

Sovetskaya Gavan looks to be further East and North as a starting point.

Then it just a question of the furthest West and South, so maybe Lagos in Portugal.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Interestingly, Algeceiras Spain is only about half a mile less than Lagos, so as these measurements are to city centres and not railway stations, either could be longest.

Something for the OP to do!

You're forgetting the other end.

A change at Beijing Station would allow routes to the south and onwards towards Singapore as trains leave in all directions. Not sure if a direct route is possible without leaving stations, but it's certainly possible if you remain in the same city.

 

[Chris999999]

Looking at the Eastern end, Saigon is further and somewhere like Thap Cham Vietnam is even further - I don't have many details of stations in Vietnam. (From Vietnam Lagos Portugal is further than Algeceiras)

 

[TheKnightWho]

Looking at the Eastern end, Saigon is further and somewhere like Thap Cham Vietnam is even further - I don't have many details of stations in Vietnam. (From Vietnam Lagos Portugal is further than Algeceiras)

Singapore is considerably further than both! Although the Thai rail network, whilst connected, currently has no passenger trains running over the borders.

So whilst possible, you couldn't actually do it. This will change with the Kunming-Singapore railway.

Indonesia is also building two road bridges connecting Sumatra to Malaysia and Java to Sumatra. These may become road-rail bridges, though, which would allow a continuous rail journey from Lagos, Portugal to Banyuwangi, Indonesia.

 

[Chris999999]

There are plenty of proposals for railways which would increase the possible distance, including a tunnel under the Bering Straits to link Russia and Alaska. This could result in being able to travel to North America by rail from Europe.

But of course this wouldn't be the longest journey as defined by the OP, as any sensible crow would fly the shorter way, by crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

 

[Disorientxpres]

If Southeast Asia and Bering links are both built, Indonesia to southern Mexico would almost be antipodal.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Narvik - Boden - Stockholm - Malmo - Copenhagen - Odense - Flensburg - Hamburg Berlin to get to Moscow (or a little less km if the train ferry from Trelleborg to Sassnitz counts)?