Ultimate Train Journeys: World profiles 30 great train trips from every inhabited continent, selected by long-time rail fan and travel writer Tim Richards.

Environmental concerns are prompting travellers to consider the surface route - and the best means of transport at ground level is undoubtedly rail. Tim's curated selection covers the full range of rail options, from the humble commuter train to long-distance night trains with sleeper berths and dining cars, and all journeys are blessed with great scenery.

There's the Coast Starlight (Los Angeles to Seattle), the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling) and The Orient Express (London via Paris to Venice), just to name a few. Each chapter includes a detailed itinerary, fast facts, photos and maps.

With space to move and no road traffic to get snarled up in, the real drawcard of train adventures is that they are immersed within a shifting environment, yet not entirely of it. You can witness your surrounds at a steady pace, and properly get to know your travel companions. The old-school ways of travel are fast becoming new again.