Train travel is a form of transport that stems from a bygone era, when luxury and indulgence met with comfort and convenience, which is what makes it understandably popular. Although the trains we use for our day-to-day commute may seem a world apart from these original locomotives, there are still numerous ways to enjoy the thrill of authentic rail journeys.
Taking a train holiday gives you the chance to sample exquisite scenery whilst relaxing in complete comfort - but which journeys are the longest?
Want to take a train from Moscow to Vladivostok? This 5,777 mile journey is made possible by the Trans-Siberian Express, which runs along the Trans-Siberian Railway - the longest railway in the world.
Covering almost 6,000 miles and crossing almost one third of the circumference of the Earth, the sheer size of this railway has to be seen to be believed. There is even an auxiliary route which runs to Nakhodka on the line, bringing the total distance up to 5,865 miles.
Falling short of Russia's impressive 6,000 mile rail route, India's Himsagar Express offers the longest train ride for their country. Covering more than 2,300 miles, the train takes a staggering 72 hours to complete its journey and stops at a breathtaking 70 stations.
Crossing nine states of this exotic country, the train boasts a varied collection of passengers including locals travelling between villages, families and even those making pilgrimage.
A more recent addition to the list of longest train journeys is China's Beijing to Guangzhou route. At the end of 2012, the country opened this line - the longest high-speed railway line in the world - which connects these two prominent towns and spans 1,428 miles.
The journey, which used to take travellers the best part of a full day, now clocks in at just eight hours with this modern marvel.
Fun down-under
A smaller railway in comparison to some of those mentioned above, Australia's Indian Pacific railway is still an impressive choice. Just shy of 300 miles, the railway connects the two sides of Australia running from Sydney (on the Pacific Ocean) to Perth (on the Indian Ocean).
Offering a relaxing experience, the total journey time now takes about 65 hours - ten hours short of the original travel time.
Although the above are all examples of popular long distance railways that are already in existence, this hasn't stopped engineers and developers from planning to build more.
While the Trans-Siberian Railway has held the crown as the world's longest rail journey for quite some time, the idea to build link China with the USA by rail could overthrow this title.
According to reports published in The Daily Mail earlier this year, China is considering constructing the line which would involve travelling 125 miles undersea to Alaska. If it goes ahead, the total train journey will cover 8,000 miles and take less than two days to complete - that's 2,300 miles longer than the current title-holder!
