Two hundred years after the first passenger train rolled down the tracks, these iconic rail journeys still inspire awe and wonder.

On 27 September 1825, reporters and onlookers from across England flocked to the market town of Darlington to witness a groundbreaking innovation in travel. On this day, hundreds of paying customers squeezed into one of 20 wagons on the Stockton and Darlington Railway as the steam-powered train trundled 40km down the tracks to the town of Stockton. This short, historic journey marked the very first public passenger train, and the beginning of the modern railway.

Two hundred years later, trains crisscross the globe, from slow-moving vintage rides to futuristic high-speed commuter trains. Though air travel became more popular than rail journeys across much of the world in the 1950s and '60s, trains still evoke a sense of nostalgia and wonder for many travellers, and riding the rails remains one of the most environmentally friendly forms of transportation.

In honour of the train's bicentennial, here are some of the most beautiful and iconic rail routes around the world to help inspire your next journey.

Spain's 135-year-old scenic British train line through 'bandit country'

Known as "Mr Henderson's Railway", this Victorian-era time capsule that chugs through the Andalusian countryside was created by an interesting moment in British and Spanish history. The route is named after British railway financier, Sir Alexander Henderson, who funded the project in 1892 as a way to link British-controlled Gibraltar with the rest of Spain. Previous attempts to link the port at Algeciras with the heart of Andalusiaby rail had failed in part because the forests and hills the railway now traverses were once filled with bandits. Today, the train passes through remote mountainsides and stops at some of the region's natural wonders, such as the 100m-high Cañón de las Buitreras (Vultures' Canyon).

A 58-tunnel slow train through India's Eastern Ghats

The Visakhapatnam Kirandul Passenger Special takes visitors on a winding four-hour slow train journey through India's lush Eastern Ghats. Featuring 58 tunnels, each punctuated by the raucous cheering of riders, the route travels through misty mountains and oak forests before ending in the town of Araku, where visitors can delve into the area's burgeoning coffee industry.

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