Every little thing you could learn about rail journey in 2026

In mild of local weather change, flygskam (Swedish for flight disgrace) and the convenience of arriving at a city-centre prepare station as an alternative of the effort of a far-flung airport, the world is all aboard for prepare journey. Adventuring by rail is beginning to really feel rather a lot much less like a nostalgic throwback and extra like getting into a brand new period of journey. No matter the place on this planet your 2026 journeys take you, trains are able to whisk you between capital cities and unforgettably scenic landscapes — right here’s every part it is best to learn about rail journey within the 12 months forward.

Europe will get a slew of latest sleeper companies

It’s changing into simpler than ever to zip round Europe by prepare. A high-speed community is about to hyperlink the continent’s capitals by 2040, and evening trains specifically are seeing a resurgence of curiosity. The sleeper service linking Paris, Berlin and Vienna was set to be scrapped after France withdrew funding — regardless that the trains had 70% occupancy — however European Sleeper, a Dutch-Belgian railway firm based in 2021, is taking up the route from March. It’s additionally launching evening trains between Amsterdam, Brussels, Bern and Milan in June. In the UK, the Caledonian Sleeper is introducing a brand new in a single day route from Birmingham to the Scottish Highlands in January, the primary time the service has added a brand new calling level in additional than 30 years.

Sleeper trains in Europe are additionally going luxe. La Dolce Vita Orient Express began high-end journeys round Italy in 2025 in classic refurbished carriages. Spain’s Al Andalus is marking its fortieth anniversary in 2026 with a brand new itinerary that travels past Andalucia to soak up extra of the nation, now beginning or ending in Madrid. The Britannic Explorer is England’s first luxurious sleeper prepare, which launched in 2025. This service from luxurious operator Belmond takes within the surroundings of Cornwall, Wales and the Lake District with departures from London.

Hit the slopes by rail in Europe and the US

This winter, skiers can hit the world’s largest interconnected ski space by prepare. The new seasonal Travelski Night Express, operating from December to March, will transport snow bunnies from Paris to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, stopping at massive resorts in Courchevel, La Plagne, Tignes, Méribel, Val d’Isère and extra. For 2026, Eurostar’s Ski train from London St Pancras to Bourg-Saint-Maurice is extending its timetable from 14 weeks to 16 weeks, ending in early April as an alternative of mid-March, too.

Across the pond within the United States, Amtrak’s Winter Park Express, operating between Denver and Winter Park, Colorado’s longest regularly operated ski resort, expanded its companies and lowered ticket costs for the 2024/25 winter season and noticed a record-breaking 150% enhance in ridership. For a second 12 months, the service continues to run 4 days per week from mid-December to the top of March, with 57 return journeys.

Canyon Spirit extends scenic path to Salt Lake City, Utah

Previously known as Rocky Mountaineer within the US, Canyon Spirit is increasing its luxurious Rockies to the Red Rocks journey from Moab to Salt Lake City on one of the crucial scenic prepare routes not simply within the nation however the world, too. Moab, the gateway city to Arches and Canyonlands nationwide parks, is a fraction of the dimensions of Utah’s capital metropolis and is healthier connecteced with a world airport and two interstate highways. The new route runs from April onwards.

Rocky Mountaineer begins a brand new route in Canada

In summer season 2026, passengers can journey by prepare to the wild coronary heart of the Canadian Rockies on the new Passage to the Peaks route, which runs between the mountain cities of Banff and Jasper. This new service is the one Rocky Mountaineer route that doesn’t go to Canada’s West Coast, as an alternative specializing in the craggy mountains, electrical blue glacial lakes and towering forests additional inland.

Amtrak set to roll out new Airo carriages

In 2026, Amtrak, the United States’ solely nationwide passenger rail service, is introducing new carriages to its medium-distance trains, together with the Northeast Regional (Washington, DC to Boston) and Amtrak Cascades (Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, Canada). In August 2025, Amtrak launched the ‘next generation’ Acela carriages on North America’s solely high-speed prepare line, persevering with to enhance the rail providing throughout the United States.

Saudi Arabia is getting its first luxurious prepare line

All that glitters is gold, particularly in a area recognized for its over-the-top decadence. Saudi Arabia is launching a brand new luxurious prepare known as Dreams of the Desert in autumn 2026, the primary of its sort within the Middle East. Passengers will depart from capital Riyadh on an 800-mile journey that ends close to the border with Jordan, passing by means of AlUla, an historical Nabataean metropolis, and necropolis Hegra, which is usually in comparison with Petra in Jordan.

The first passenger trains will roll out within the United Arab Emirates

The UAE is introducing its first countrywide passenger prepare companies in 2026 on Etihad Rail. The first stations will likely be in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah. The journey between Dubai and Abu Dhabi will take about 50 minutes till the high-speed line is unveiled, reducing journey occasions all the way down to half an hour. A prepare hyperlink to Oman can be beneath dialogue.

New Zealand cities get reconnected by rail

Revived after greater than 20 years out of service, a prepare route will as soon as once more hyperlink up Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill, the one passenger service on the South Island. From 20 January, the Mainlander will run month-to-month, with plans for extra frequent companies to be introduced on board at a later date.

The South Island’s scenic traces are additionally getting updates to attract in additional travellers. Passengers on the Taieri Gorge heritage railway can cease off at Deep Stream, a picturesque 1,804ft-deep gorge, and stroll throughout the bridge to take photographs of the Nineteen Thirties locomotive amid the panorama solely accessible by prepare. The prepare can be including open-air viewing carriages from 2026.

Australia’s iconic trains get much more luxurious suites

In April, Journey Beyond is bringing the next degree of luxurious to the Ghan, Indian Pacific, Great Southern and Overland trains in Australia. Travellers staying within the new artwork deco-inspired suites, known as Aurora and Australis, can count on non-public butlers, personalised in-suite bars, an unpacking service, chauffeurs at arrival and departure, and unique off-train experiences. Aurora suites will likely be double the dimensions of the Platinum cabins, and Australis suites give travellers 3 times the area with a separate bed room with a queen-size mattress.

Japan’s hottest bullet prepare is including non-public rooms

Ridden by greater than 150 million individuals a 12 months, the Tokaido line connecting Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka is Japan’s busiest and the world’s oldest high-speed prepare traces, based in 1964. In autumn 2026, some trains on this route are seeing a return of personal rooms with closable doorways for the primary time in 20 years since they had been eliminated in 2003. The rooms — simply two per prepare to begin with — will likely be obtainable in first-class and embrace reclining seats, leg rests, wi-fi, adjustable thermostats, quantity management and dimmable lights. Travellers utilizing the JR Rail Pass have to pay a further cost to improve to the room seats.

South Korea’s high-speed companies are merging, boosting capability

After splitting aside in 2013 in an effort to foster business competitors, KTX (Korea Train eXpress) and SRT (Super Rapid Train) are set to recombine right into a single government-run entity in 2026, fulfilling a presidential marketing campaign promise to reunite the fragmented companies. The operators beforehand ran trains out of their very own separate stations in Seoul however will quickly serve all stations, making journey simpler for guests. By the top of 2026, travellers will have the ability to e-book all high-speed prepare choices by means of a single app after the ticketing techniques are built-in, and the Korean authorities says the merger will enhance the variety of seats by 16,000, assuaging shortages on in style routes.

More tour operators add rail to their itineraries

Travellers reserving journeys by means of tour operators are additionally trying in direction of prepare journey. Tour operator G Adventures already began providing Rail Collection in 2025, whereas Byway gives solely flight-free journeys across the UK and Europe. Selective Asia is masking the price of travellers’ prepare tickets once they use rail companies as an alternative of home flights in India, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia. Train specialist Railbookers is providing new 2026 itineraries of 29- to 48-day journeys aboard a number of the world’s most luxurious trains.