This article lists longest passenger rail services that are currently scheduled and running directly between two cities. This list is not complete due to the complexity of various railway systems, its timetables and difference in schedule administration between countries. To keep the list simple, only services that are point-to-point direct between two cities are listed. Services that require railcar exchanges, coach changes, shunting or station transfers are not listed.
Contents
Longest train services, by country, within the country
Table below lists trains operating nationally, within a country.
China
All services are operated by China Railways.
South Korea
All services are operated by Korail.
Europe
Due to widespread availability of affordable air travel, train services in Europe are limited to distances that can be covered in a single day (or a single night), with very few exceptions. Services to and from Russia and Ukraine (traditionally targeted at poorer demographics) resisted longer, but these, too, have been reduced and reinvented in recent years. As of 2015, there are 3 services connecting Moscow with Western Europe, which are by far the longest ones on the European continent. These now feature luxurious sleeper cars and are targeted primarily at wealthier customers, with ticket prices well exceeding air fare. Most services connecting Kiev with Western Europe have been discontinued altogether (bad shape of Ukrainian railway infrastructure being a significant contributing factor), with one surviving daily train to Budapest, taking more than 24 hours to complete its journey.
Interestingly, the longest daytime journeys (i.e. not carrying couchette/sleeper cars) are taken by the Hamburg to Budapest service.
Italy
All services are operated by Trenitalia.
Russia
Only services within geographical Europe (i.e. not into Siberia) are listed in this subcategory.
Spain
All services operated by Renfe
Canada
All services are operated by Via Rail.
United States
All services are run by Amtrak.
Longest high-speed rail service
The China Railways G1276/7 and G1278/5 Harbin-Wuhan train (2446 km, 14 1/2 hours), which began service on December 10, 2014, became the longest high-speed rail service in the world. It overtook the G1202 Harbin-Shanghai (2421 km, 12 hours), which had set the previous record on December 28, 2012.