Superalbs

The beautiful newly refurbished station of Shymkent, Kazakhstan.

And does anyone know what the "Background" counter is meant to be? I asked the staff there and they had no idea either. 😅

Back on the old Soviet carriage for a ride to Shymkent, nothing beats a ride on one of these! ❤️🇰🇿

Really enjoyed my first (and probably last) visit to the town of Arys, chasing locos sure does take you to the weirdest places. 😅

And right after my overnight train, I'm getting on another one to Arys-2.

This is one of few trains in Kazakhstan to use Chinese carriages, with a densely packed "Hard Sleeper" interior, fitting 60 people per carriage! 😬

Arrival ten minutes late at Shymkent, after an overnight journey through the freezing cold south of Kazakhstan. All comfy and cosy in my Soviet sleeper carriage though! 😁

Vibes on the old Soviet sleeper train in Kazakhstan... 😌❤️

(this one even has power sockets!)

And this is my train, the 20:00 departure, going as far as Saratov, Russia. This train is hauled by a modern KZ4AT locomotive!

My private room in this old Soviet carriage cost just £50 for the night. 😍

The epic vibe of Almaty-2 station at night, here in Kazakhstan's biggest city! 🥰🇰🇿

Almaty Metro, despite only opening in the 2010s, this modern metro still manages to capture the charm of other metros in ex-Soviet countries, with each station having a different spectacular design! 😍

Another ride on the rails in Kazakhstan, a short trip between Almaty stations.

Once again the staff found this absolutely hilarious, so funny in fact, that they served me a free cup of tea. 🤨

Buy a 150, and then set up a dodgy train company. Sorted. 👍

Well yes, it gives 1/3 off! :)

Yes, with a Railcard.

Indeed, the layout is nearly the same!

I much prefer Almaty to Astana!

I had something more interesting in mind!

Glad you enjoyed it! The CMK is currently restricted to 160km/h, pending the fitment of new signals.

What do you mean? 😅

But I only had to pay £13! :)

Incorrect, this ticket is valid on its own, there is no legal basis for charging extra based on brands.

They are, as all services are operated by Govia Thameslink Railway.

I should have upgraded to be honest, it wasn't much extra!

It sure is, what a great experience!

Would be great to see some battered old 150s roaming around out of Timișoar. a

That would be pretty cool, though not sure the 158 aircon would be up for it!

Imagine that! 🤣

Not sure, it was really odd.

Yes, but at least they've picked a higher-spec version, even if it is still a terrible seat.

That's really cool, sadly I didn't see it!

NEW VIDEO! A ride aboard the NEWEST train in Switzerland, as I take the SBB InterRegio from Basel to Zürich on a Stadler KISS unit. I'm travelling in First Class on the upper deck, for what was a truly perfect journey through Switzerland.

WATCH: youtu.be/HIlDKGvDN-M