Silk Road Express Train: Two Trains, One Name Explained

If you have been searching online for the Silk Road Express train, you may have noticed something strange. Some websites show a train crossing snowy mountains in Russia and Central Asia. Others show a train moving through the deserts of northwest China. Both are called the Silk Road Express. Both promise a luxury journey along the old Silk Road trade route.

This is not a mistake on your screen. There really are two different trains that use this name. They are run by two different companies, they follow two very different routes, and they offer two very different kinds of trips. If you book the wrong one by accident, you could end up on a three week trip through five countries when what you really wanted was a shorter, deeper look at China alone, or the other way around.

This guide will walk you through both trains in plain language, so you know exactly what you are looking at and which one matches the trip you actually want.

Why Two Trains Share the Same Name

The name Silk Road is not owned by any single company. It refers to the ancient network of trade routes that once connected China to Europe through Central Asia, carrying silk, spices, and ideas across thousands of miles. Because the name is so well known and so closely tied to adventure and history, more than one train company has chosen to use it in their branding.

This is a bit like how many hotels around the world call themselves a Grand Hotel. The name is popular because it sounds good and fits the theme, not because only one hotel is allowed to use it. The same thing has happened with the Silk Road Express name.

The Golden Eagle Silk Road Express

The first train is run by Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, a company based in the United Kingdom that is best known for its Trans Siberian Express journeys across Russia. Golden Eagle also runs trips branded as the Silk Road Express or the China Silk Road Express, and these trips are built around crossing several countries in one long journey.

A typical Golden Eagle Silk Road trip might start in Moscow or Almaty and travel through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and sometimes into western China, before ending in a major Chinese city such as Beijing or Xian. These journeys usually last two to three weeks and often carry a price tag in the tens of thousands of dollars per person. The experience is built around covering huge distances, seeing many countries in one trip, and enjoying a European style of train luxury, with dining, drinks, and cabins that feel closer to a classic European sleeper train than a Chinese one.

If your dream trip is a grand adventure that crosses several borders and lets you compare cultures from Russia all the way to China, this is likely the train you have seen mentioned online.

The China Silk Road Express, Run by Train of Glamour

The second train is the Silk Road Express operated by Train of Glamour, a Chinese rail travel brand under the Fosun Infrastructure Group. This train, known in Chinese as the Silk Road Dream Express, stays entirely within China. Instead of crossing borders, it focuses on giving guests a slow and detailed look at China’s own stretch of the ancient Silk Road, through provinces such as Qinghai and Gansu, with routes that reach toward Dunhuang and beyond.

This train was built by CRRC Sifang, one of China’s leading train manufacturers, with interiors designed by HBA, a well known international design firm, and exterior artwork created with Tsinghua University’s Academy of Arts and Design. The train carries only 80 guests at a time, spread across 38 private suites, each with its own bathroom. There are two separate dining cars, one serving Chinese food and one serving Western style dishes, both prepared with a quality level inspired by Michelin dining standards.

One of the most unique spaces on board is the Hanyuefu Poetry Observation Car, named after an ancient Chinese poetry tradition. This car gives a wide 270 degree view of the changing desert and mountain scenery outside, making it a favorite spot for guests who want to simply sit and watch the landscape pass by. There is also a lounge car, a private room for karaoke, and a room with an automatic mahjong table for guests who want some evening entertainment. Every guest travels with a personal butler and a dedicated vacation host, available around the clock.

The Real Differences Between the Two Trains

The biggest difference is geography. The Golden Eagle version is a multi country trip that treats the Silk Road as one long path stretching from Europe into Asia. The Train of Glamour version stays inside China and treats the Silk Road as a story that can be told fully within one country, through its deserts, oasis towns, and ancient trade cities.

The second difference is length and pace. The Golden Eagle journey is long, often two to three weeks, moving across many borders and requiring visas for several countries. The China Silk Road Express is a shorter and more focused trip, designed for guests who want a deep experience of one region rather than a race across a continent.

The third difference is the style of luxury on board. Golden Eagle brings a European sleeper train feel, with a dining and bar culture shaped by its Russian and Central Asian routes. The Train of Glamour train leans into Chinese craftsmanship and culture, from the poetry inspired observation car to the mix of Chinese and Western dining, and it was designed and built with Chinese engineering and design talent from the ground up.

How to Check Which Train You Are Looking At

If you want a quick way to check which train a website is talking about, look at three things.

First, check the company name. Golden Eagle Luxury Trains is based in the United Kingdom and often lists other trips too, such as journeys in Russia, Mongolia, and Central Asia. If the company name next to the Silk Road Express is Golden Eagle, you are looking at the multi country version.

Second, check the map. If the route on the page shows Moscow, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, or other countries outside China, you are looking at the Golden Eagle train. If the map stays inside China, moving between cities such as Xining, Dunhuang, and Kashgar, you are looking at the Train of Glamour version.

Third, check the trip length and price. If the trip is listed as two weeks or longer and costs well over ten thousand dollars per person, it is almost certainly the Golden Eagle trip. The China Silk Road Express by Train of Glamour is a shorter and more focused journey, built for guests who want a rich experience without spending three weeks on the road.

Which Train Should You Choose

There is no single right answer, since the two trains are built for different kinds of travelers.

Choose the Golden Eagle Silk Road Express if you want a long, grand adventure that treats the Silk Road as a story stretching across several countries. This suits travelers who have plenty of time, enjoy border crossings and visa planning, and want a European style of train luxury layered on top of Central Asian and Chinese scenery.

Choose the China Silk Road Express by Train of Glamour if you want to explore China’s own stretch of the Silk Road in real depth, without the long travel time or the need for multiple visas. This suits travelers who want a shorter trip built entirely around Chinese culture, food, and design, with features like the Hanyuefu Poetry Observation Car, the private karaoke suite, and the mahjong room offering a more personal and culturally focused kind of luxury.

The Bottom Line

Both trains carry the name Silk Road Express with pride, and both offer a real sense of luxury and history. The difference comes down to how much of the Silk Road you want to see and how you want to see it. Once you know which company you are looking at, booking the right trip becomes much easier.

If your interest is in exploring China’s own Silk Road heritage aboard a private, all suite train, the Silk Road Express by Train of Glamour offers a focused journey built entirely around that goal, with routes running from Xining toward Dunhuang and beyond.