From highest to lowest and shortest, these train-related facts provide a reminder of the delights of rail travel
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The fight scene on top of the train in Skyfall was actually filmed on top of a real moving train, and Daniel Craig did not use a stunt double. (It is possible to travel from Portugal to Vietnam solely by train. At 17,000km, this is the longest train journey in the world.)
One of Paris’s prettiest railway lines has not seen a train since 1934. The abandoned Petite Ceinture (‘Little Belt’) was a circular line around the city, built from 1851 to 1867.
In Japan, trains are so punctual that any delay of over five minutes usually incurs an apology and a ‘delay certificate’ for passengers on their way to work. When trains are delayed for an hour or more, it may even make the news.
The Hogwarts Express train used in the Harry Potter movies is an actual train that runs even today in Scotland. The line winds through gorgeous settings, including Highland valleys and lochs.
The world’s shortest national train network is the Vatican Railway – two 300m tracks and a pair of sidings in Vatican City.