Barring the daily commute on the MRT, railways do not feature much in the lives of most Singaporeans. Train rides out of the city are relegated to the short commuter route to Johor Bahru, though the rail link may in the future rise in prominence, with on-off discussions about a high-speed line to Kuala Lumpur.

Yet, there is a host of railway adventures awaiting in Asia. Fast trains in Japan and China offer a glimpse of how the train to KL might look, while regional slow trains are a look back at Singapore’s past, as the terminus of South-east Asia’s metre-gauge rail network. Here are seven trains worth riding – where the journey is part of the destination.

Mark Andrews has written about everything from Japanese houses to heli hikes on New Zealand glaciers, test drives of Chinese cars to bar and restaurant reviews. He currently specialises in travel articles and reviews of Chinese cars plus articles about the Chinese auto industry.