Travellers' ChecksA Hong Kong MTR rail trip is in the Amazing Train Journeys book. Yes, really
‘From the urban canyons of Kowloon ...’ begins the description of Hong Kong MTR ride in Lonely Planet book of ‘unforgettable rail trips’, which also includes Switzerland’s Glacier Express and Vietnam’s Reunification Express
The MTR’s West Rail Line might seem an unlikely candidate for a book of 60 “unforgettable rail trips”, but there it is, tucked away between the Eastern & Oriental Express and Vietnam’s Reunification Express in the Asia section of Lonely Planet’s new Amazing Train Journeys.
“From the urban canyons of Kowloon to the coastal suburb of Tuen Mun,” the half-hour journey is described in surprisingly encouraging detail (“Riders seated on the shiny plastic benches take in the skyscrapers of Tin Shui Wai”) over four pages, and a railway-line graphic shows a few points of interest along the way.
More challenging, and perhaps more socially engaging journeys (Hong Kong commuters are “not apt to chat”) include the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Siberian railways, and Mauritania’s 2.5km-long Iron Ore Train (that is the actual train, not the railway). More comfortable and compact European offerings include Switzerland’s spectacular Glacier Express and a picturesque – if you ignore all the graffiti – ride along the Cote d’Azur, from Cannes to Menton.
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