A guide to train travel Southeast Asia, featuring resources for buying tickets and reviews of rail travel in Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia railways index
Cambodia
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
Southeast Asia train travel resources
Southeast Asia train travel FAQs
Future Southeast Asia railways
Cambodia
Railway Operator: Royal Railway.
Buy Cambodia train tickets Baolau.
Cambodia train travel articles
Cambodia railways – a guide to train travel in Cambodia.
Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville by train
Riding the Bamboo Railway in Battambang
Indonesia
Railway Operator: Kereta Api Indonesia
Buy Indonesia train tickets Tiket.
Java train travel articles
Java Railways: maps and resources for Java train travel
Jakarta Airport Rail Link – Train details, and which stations are best for visitors.
Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (Whoosh): A guide to the fastest train in Southeast Asia
Bandung to Yogyakarta by train – one of the most scenic rail journeys in Southeast Asia
KA Probowangi: Train from Surabaya to Ketapang (for the Bali ferry)
Java to Bali by train, ferry, and bus
The most comprehensive online Java Indonesia travel itinerary – By dontworryjusttravel.com.
Sumatra train travel articles
Sumatra Railways: A guide to every train line in Sumatra.
Palembang to Bandar Lampung by train – Riding the coal-subsidised railway of South Sumatra.
Palembang to Lubuk Linggau by train in South Sumatra
Kualanamu Airport Rail Link: The Medan airport train.
How to get from Medan to Lake Toba by train and bus
Medan to Rantau Prapat by train (North Sumatra)
Sulawesi train travel articles
Makassar–Parepare railway: the first section of the Trans-Sulawesi railway.
Laos
Buy Laos train tickets Baolau.
Laos train travel articles
Laos Railways: a guide to train travel in Laos
Laos-China Railway travel guide – A guide to the Laos-China Railway from Vientiane to Boten, including tickets, train types, station guides, onboard amenities, and transport to stations.
How to buy tickets for the Laos-China Railway
Vientiane Khamsavath Railway Station Guide
Udon Thani to Vientiane by train
Malaysia
Railway Operator (Peninsula): KTM.
Railway Operator (Sabah): Sabah Railway.
Buy Malaysia train tickets 12Go Asia
Malaysia train travel articles
Malaysia railways – a guide to train travel in Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by train
Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth (Penang) with the ETS
Jungle Railway – The best train times and most scenic sections.
Gemas to JB Sentral: The last diesel Intercity service on Malaysia’s West Coast
Johor Bahru to Singapore by train: KTM Shuttle Tebrau
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station: A guide to the most beautiful station in Southeast Asia
Padang Besar Station: crossing the Malaysia-Thailand border by train
Myanmar
Railway operator: Ministry of Rail Transportation
Philippines
Railway Operator: Philippine National Railways
Singapore
Singapore train travel articles
Singapore Rail Corridor: The former railway line that’s now a walking path
How to get from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur by train
Thailand
Railway Operator: State Railway of Thailand
Buy Thailand train tickets 12go
Thailand train travel articles
Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal; A guide to the main train station of Bangkok.
Train 7 Bangkok to Chiang Mai: The day train through historic Thailand.
Train 261: Bangkok (Hua Lamphong) to Hua Hin by Ordinary Train
Getting the train in the troubled deep south of Thailand – A review of the train from Hat Yai to Sungai Kolok, through the provinces of Thailand which have travel advisories to not travel to.
Bangkok to Trang by train, and onward connections to the Trang Islands
Bang Sue Grand Station construction update – The future central station of Bangkok
Bangkok to Chiang Mai by train – Best train times to see some of the highlights of Thailand.
How to get from Bangkok to Vientiane by train
Kanchanaburi to Hua Hin by train (with a bonus stop at the tallest stupa in the world)
The train that will transform Nakhon Ratchasima – A report on my visit Nakhon Ratchasima, where a high-speed train will connect to Bangkok, and eventually to the Laos border.
Vietnam
Railway Operator: Vietnam Railways
Buy Vietnam train tickets Baolau.
Vietnam train travel articles
Vietnam Railways – A guide to every line, tickets, and FAQs.
Train SE22 from Saigon to Danang
Da Nang to Hue by train via the Hai Van Pass
Da Lat – Trai Mat Railway – A restored heritage railway in Vietnam
Hanoi Train Street Guide: Where to visit the open sections.
Saigon to Phan Thiet by train – the easy way to get to Mui Ne
Special Train to the Gia Lam Train Factory (Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023)
Southeast Asia train travel resources
Any questions related to travel by train in Southeast Asia please visit the Southeast Asia Railways Facebook group.
Get a monthly summary of Southeast Asia rail travel news at southeastasiarailways.com.
Southeast Asia train travel FAQs
Is there a Southeast Asia Train Pass?
Southeast Asia is a long way from being developed enough to offer a railway pass that would be similar to the Eurail Pass in Europe. The railway network of Southeast Asia is not extensive enough to warrant such a ticket, and there are very few international connections.
Can I travel from India to Myanmar by train?
Even though the two countries are neighbours there is no rail link yet. There are plans to build a line from Impal in India to Tamu in Myanmar. This would provide an eventual connection from Delhi to Yangon.
Are there any international train services in Southeast Asia?
There are currently three international services:
Bangkok (thailand) – Padang Besar (Malaysia)
Nong Khai (Thailand) – Thanaleng (Laos)
Johor Bahru (Malaysia – Woodlands (Singapore)
Read more here: International train services in Southeast Asia.
Future Southeast Asia railways
One of my projects at Nomadic Notes has been to map the proposed railways of Southeast Asia. To illustrate what is planned for the region I’ve created a map of current and proposed railways in Southeast Asia.
[Click here for larger downloadable image.]
The black lines on the map represent railways that are currently operating, while the red lines are proposed lines.
This map is based on my previous project which depicted Southeast Asia railways as a subway-style map.
[Click here for larger image.]
This map has details of all the proposed railways which are listed here:
Future Southeast Asia – A map of proposed railways in Southeast Asia.
I also write about future railways of Southeast Asia at futuresoutheastasia.com.
[nomadicnotes.com is an affiliate with Tiket, Baolau, and 12Go Asia.]