The world’s longest train journey, spanning weeks, is designed without passengers in mind.
Covering thousands of miles and connecting two continents, the world’s longest train journey stands as a remarkable engineering achievement, transporting people on this extraordinary route.
China’s Belt and Road initiative involves a substantial investment of $900 billion (£706 billion) to revive the historic Silk Road trade route. Within this expansive project, the Yiwu-Madrid railway line plays a pivotal role, facilitating the transportation of freight trains from the city of Yiwu in the Zhejiang province, traversing Asia and Eastern Europe, ultimately reaching the Spanish capital of Madrid.
Being the world’s longest route and linking nearly two entire continents, this journey connects over half a dozen countries. However, thrill-seeking vacationers may never get the chance to experience this route unless they are willing to undergo a substantial career change.
In November 2014, the Yiwu-Madrid line was inaugurated by InterRail Group, a company primarily dedicated to rail freight, in collaboration with Chinese Railways and Deutsche Bahn (DB), despite its name suggesting a focus on passenger travel.
Originating from the Chinese city, a bustling trading hub located 300 miles south of Shanghai, the line spans approximately 13,000 kilometers (8,100 miles) westward, concluding in Madrid. Throughout this extensive journey, freighters traverse six other countries, including Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, and France, with each trip lasting up to three weeks. Notably, the trains operating on this route transport goods and the accompanying workforce, as the operators do not offer commercial passenger services.
In 2023, the line conducted two commemorative trips in honor of Sino-Spanish relations, featuring trains transporting cultural commodities between Yiwu and Madrid.