Trains are one of the most popular vehicles in the world today since the invention of the steam locomotive in 1802. Their different uses for the transport of passengers or heavy goods , as well as their variants and modifications , revolutionized society as we know it. In this text we compile ten trains notable for their unique characteristics , which show that this means of transport, so seemingly “simple”, can surprise us in various ways.

Transparency note: We created this list thanks in part to a thread by X created by user @tradingMaxiSL, but adding context and additional information to several of the items that make up this smaller selection as well as adding more quirky trains.

The party train continues: Techno Train Nürnberg

The Techno Train Nürnberg is perfect for rave and electronic music lovers. This train offers scenic seven-hour journeys from Nuremberg to Munich , taking in the entire Bavarian region of Germany. The fun part is that throughout the journey there is live music from various DJs who not only liven up the journey, but are the main incentive for passengers to get on this train , effectively making it a “concert on rails”.

Urban planning and railway safety at the limit: Hanoi Train Street

In this case, we are not talking about a particular train, but about a very characteristic location in Hanoi , Vietnam. The so-called Hanoi Train Street is precisely what its name suggests: a street where trains pass twice a day, travelling between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The peculiarity here is that the route of the tracks is inside an urban centre . Despite the danger of a train crossing an urban area, many establishments such as cafes place their tables in the middle of the street, although close to the wall, moving as far away from the tracks as possible. It is one of the most touristic spots in the city , where many intrepid travellers test their nerves of steel by taking dangerous selfies just as one of the trains passes by .

The football train: the Čierny Hron Railway

This is another case that is unusual, not so much for the machinery itself, but for the location of the tracks. The Čierny Hron Railway in Slovakia is the only train in the world that runs through a football pitch . Originally built for large-scale logging operations , these tracks fell into disuse in 1982, but ten years later the route was reopened as a tourist attraction, taking advantage of the fact that it runs through the football pitch of the TJ Tatran Čierny Balog .

The Train of the World of Tomorrow: Rocky Mountaineer

Rocky Mountaineer trains offer luxury trips with all kinds of amenities throughout different locations in Canada . The train has several floors of height , a restaurant , and even cars optimized as viewing platforms with glass roofs from which to contemplate the spectacular mountain landscapes that are traveled. An unforgettable experience only suitable for the most affluent pockets.

The “flying train”: the Wuppertaler Schwebebahn

The Wuppeltaler Schwebahn is one of a kind: it is the oldest electrically operated suspended monorail line in the world and a unique means of transport in Germany . Located in the German city of Wuppeltal , it covers a route of around thirteen kilometres with the vehicle suspended in the air at a height of around twelve metres above the Wupper river and at a height of around eight metres above the area between Sonnborner Straße and Vohwinkel.

The iron train: super heavy cargo of minerals

The trains that run on Mauritania’s rail network are large iron ore carriers that can be up to three kilometres long . Each of these trains consists of a locomotive and between two and three hundred carriages, each of which can carry up to 84 tonnes. This is a very efficient way of transporting minerals , and this rail network is one of the country’s main sources of income . These trains also supply small settlements close to the tracks in the middle of the Sahara Desert , which in many cases is their only contact with civilisation.

The train passing through a building: the Station in Chongqing (China)

Contrary to popular belief, the tracks of the famous monorail that runs through Chongqing’s Liziba Station were not “built inside a building.” Both the building itself and the station are part of a single structure that was designed as such from the start . The monorail tracks run two stories high between the sixth and eighth floors of the building, and to prevent the tenants of such a unique building from experiencing noise problems, this structure has custom-made sound insulation .

The longest train in the world: it traveled through Australia carrying iron

On 21 June 2001, BHP Billiton configured a special railway for a massive iron ore loading operation in which the resulting vehicle reached 7,353 metres in length . This train consisted of 682 wagons and eight locomotives , and transported almost 100,000 tonnes of iron ore a distance of 275 kilometres from the Yandi iron ore mine to the port of Port Hedland in Australia.

The train with animals and clowns as passengers: the Ringling Brother Circus Train

This peculiar train is used by the Ringling Brothers Circus to transport heavy trained animals such as elephants from one place to another. Since circuses are a traveling show , the people in charge of this show came to the conclusion that the safest and most efficient way to move many of their peculiar “artists” was to use a train as a means of transport.

The train that crosses the waters: the Burlinskoye Lake train in Russia

Lake Burlinskoye is already a peculiar enough place on its own: the pink-hued waters of the place make it seem like something from another world. But it doesn’t end there, as there are train tracks that take advantage of the shallowness of the lake so that a locomotive can cross it , resulting in totally surreal snapshots .