ALL board

BOEING WHO? TAKE TO THE TRACKS BECAUSE TRAIN TRAVEL IS HAVING A SERIOUS MOMENT. FROM NEW ZEALAND TO NORWAY, TURN THE PAGE TO EXPLORE THE WORLD IN AN EASY, ECO-FRIENDLY WAY

- ATA-OWAJI VICTOR

From the luscious forests of Goa to the untouched highlands between Oslo and Bergen, trains can take us under the skin of a country like no other form of transport. As more of us consider the journey as important as the destination, it may be time to opt for a slower kind of travel.

Perhaps it’s the concept of flygskam, or ‘flight shame’ (environmental concern that makes us think twice about flying, particularly on short-haul routes) that is behind the rail renaissance. Or maybe it’s the unexpected popularity of TikTok trainspotter Francis Bourgeois, a 21-year-old so enthusiastic about his hobby that he’s developed a devoted following and nabbed a Gucci campaign. There’s no doubt about it: traversing the world by train has never been so cool.

Jenny Southan, editor and founder of Globetrender, a transport trend-forecasting agency, says the thing that previously dissuaded travellers from taking a train, especially in the UK, has been the expense. ‘When you can get a short-haul flight to somewhere beautiful and hot for under £100, it’s hard to compete,’ she says. However, she notes trains are much cheaper in Europe, and the emergence of ‘affordable luxury’ sleeper services – such as France’s forthcoming Midnight Trains, which will offer hotel-style rooms, a restaurant and a bar – could provide not only a viable but a preferable alternative to flying.