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The railway made it possible to provide mass inexpensive transportation over considerable distances. Not only cargo, but also passengers. Therefore, it is not surprising that at the first opportunity they tried to lay them wherever possible. But “where it will turn out” sometimes led to extreme decisions.
They built dizzying bridges across bottomless abysses. Multi-tiered spirals and serpentines were cut down. In some places there was no other solution than to let the train literally over the crests of the waves.
Traveling on such routes gives passengers a truly unforgettable experience. Let’s see which of them can be called “the ten most terrible roads.”
10 Minamiaso-Takamori (Japan)
The Japanese have always been famous for their desperation. Traveling in the mountains over narrow bridges of dizzying heights can be an unforgettable experience in itself. But the highlight of the road is that it is laid along one of the calderas of an active volcano!
Volcano Aso is still active and claims the lives of careless residents. This did not prevent the construction of several towns and villages with a total population of about 50 thousand on the site of one of the former vents.
Along the way, tourists can admire the views of burnt trees and frozen lava flows – and, sometimes, a real eruption.
9. Train to the clouds (Argentina)
29 bridges, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts, 2 spirals and 2 zigzags – a complete experience for a railway lover!
Laying the track at an altitude of 4 kilometers above sea level, the builders decided not to use a gear drive (usually used on steep slopes), but to limit themselves to standard trains.
Of course, tourists admire the magnificent mountain views. In some places, you can feel like a passenger of an airplane – the clouds outside the window are much lower than the track.
The thrill of sensations is added by the fact that sometimes trains get stuck, and passengers have to be evacuated by helicopters.
8. Chennai – Rameswaram (India)
Hindus, on the contrary, are ready to please tourists with the lowest bridge in the world. Two kilometers of the route connecting the mainland with the island of Rameshwaram, are literally a couple of meters above the water.
In calm weather, this allows you to admire the amazing seascape. But imagine what it’s like in bad weather!
In these places, a real storm happens almost every day. In 1964, a cyclone literally blew a train into the ocean, killing 150 people.
7. Argo Gerde (Indonesia)
In neighboring Indonesia, tourists are invariably attracted by the most beautiful views of the lush subtropical jungle and the bright unusual way of life of the locals.
Numerous stops in numerous villages allow you to get acquainted with local attractions and buy funny souvenirs.
But when the train suddenly soars over the jungle to a height of more than sixty meters, it invariably causes a friendly “ah!” from the passengers. Especially for those who know how many accidents there were on this railway, including on the bridge.
6. Kuranda Scenic (Australia)
Fast forward to Indonesia’s southern neighbors – sunny Australia. Here, one of the most beautiful railways in the world is laid through the Barron Gorge National Park. Tourists are offered to admire the beauty of the original tropical forests of Australia.
The route passes through hilly terrain along a slope and over several viaducts. One of the many observation decks offers a magnificent view of the famous Barron Falls.
And in one place, the train literally passes “through a waterfall”, and tourists are doused with water dust from titanic masses of water rushing a few meters from the windows.
5. Devil’s nose (Ecuador)
The Andes is not the best place for laying roads, especially railroads. When, at the end of the XNUMXth century, builders began to build a route between Riobamba and Alausi, after much research, they had to design a very winding highway.
Passing at an altitude of 3 kilometers, the road allows you to admire the most beautiful mountain landscapes of the valley “Avenue of Volcanoes”.
The highest part of the path passes through the mountain “Devil’s Nose” – it is also the longest, because it consists entirely of serpentines.
4. Georgetown Loop (USA)
The Rocky Mountains are one of the most beautiful places in North America. American prospectors have often laid narrow-gauge roads in the most unusual routes, and the Georgetown-Silver Plum (Colorado) highway is no exception.
Silver miners paved it for purely utilitarian purposes, but today it is one of the famous tourist routes.
One of the scariest places on this road is a bridge called the Devil’s Gate. Despite the intimidating name and dubious appearance, the wooden bridge of dizzying height is strong and stable, so that the short (only 5 km) track attracts thousands of tourists every year.
3. Death Road (Thailand)
Imperial Japan during the Second World War built a railway between Bangkok (Thailand) and Rangoon (Burma). It was built by the hands of British and American prisoners of war and is infamous as the “Death Road”.
Nevertheless, it is one of the most popular tourist routes. The route passes through very picturesque places – subtropical jungles, sheer cliffs and lake shores.
Thrill-seekers should enjoy sections that run along fragile-looking wooden bridges through numerous channels and gorges.
2. White Pass and Yukon (Alaska)
The end of the 1900th century in US history is known, among other things, for the “Gold Rush”. In July 177, a XNUMX km long narrow gauge railway was opened between the port of Skagway in Alaska and the Canadian city of Whitehorse.
Today it is a popular tourist route that also attracts tourists with creepy-looking sections that run along steep cliffs, high wooden bridges, long tunnels, steep ascents and descents.
Lovers of romance are especially charmed by the fact that the historical carriages are driven by real steam locomotives.
1. Darjeeling Railway (India)
During the time of British India, the colonialists were actively involved in the development of the road network. Almost 80 kilometers of railways were built to serve the highlands, which are real miracles of engineering.
The Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway, Kalka-Shimla Railway and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway run through scenic areas.
The movement along them is very slow, but this only allows tourists to fully enjoy the contrast when climbing from the coastal station to the mountains to a height of more than 2 kilometers.
Trains are not very convenient, but this only adds color to the trip. Especially the fact that, as in Alaska, open wagons are pulled by small steam locomotives.