nomadnorrie From Sydney to the formula 1 grand prix in Shanghai, Beijing, South Korea, Mongolia, Russia, Ukraine and Europe. Final destination by train is London. Hopping on a flight to Finland, then on to Japan and finally back to Sydney.

The D31 train from Beijing to Shanghai was a world away from the dreadful CityRail in Sydney. After enduring a few years of pathetically slow and late or cancelled trains it was a refreshing change. There was plenty of room in 1st class, the seats were comfortable and the carriage was non-smoking. What a delight. The train pulled away on time and arrived within 2 mintues of the expected arrival time. A considerable distance was spent travelling at 206km/h, but all the time the journey felt gentle and smooth, accelerating and braking were almost unnoticable.

The only thing left to comtemplate was where the trains were made.