Trains

Located under a 100-year-old elevated train viaduct in Tokyo between Yura kucho and Shimbashi stations, near the Imperial Palace, visitors will find the Hibiya Okuroji (Hidden Alley) shopping center.

The 1,000-foot-long brick viaduct houses 44 stores and restaurants. There are shops selling leather and textiles crafts, gourmet chocolate and jewelry, while restaurants range from classic Japanese to halal. Visit www.jrtk.jp/hibiya-okuroji (in Japanese only).

Here is a new pastime I use to help counter the COVID-induced travel doldrums. I grab my newly arrived copy of “Europe by Rail” (authored by Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries), randomly select a page and begin an armchair train journey.

I just turned to page 266, “Route 29 Maritime Cities.” The route takes me from Amsterdam to Oslo the slow way, via train, with complete information about frequency and distances of trains for nine stops along the way. For example, with trains leaving hourly, it takes two hours to get from Hamburg to Flensburg, Germany (on the border with Denmark).

At London’s Postal Museum (15-20 Phoenix Pl., London, England, WC1X 0DA, U.K.; phone +44 300 0300 700, www.postalmuseum.org), visitors can ride on a more-than-100-year-old underground postal railway in replica miniature trains.

A 15-minute ride on the “Mail Rail,” located 70 feet under the former Mt. Pleasant Royal Mail sorting room, is in cramped conditions (carriages are 51 inches from floor to canopy and 31 inches side to side), with portions in total darkness.

A commuter train near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, derailed on Aug. 12, killing three people and injuring six. Investigators believe the train hit debris on the tracks from a landslide caused by heavy rains in the area.

I have not found the full Japan Rail Pass to be cost effective for my trips, as I travel slowly. Instead of the main pass, good on Japan Rail trains for the whole country, I’d like to mention that rail passes are also available just for sections of the JR network.

Hop aboard the fabled Orient Express train. Pedal the route of the famous Tour de France bicycle race. Explore the colorful canals and history-rich streets of Venice.

OK, so you can’t make these inviting journeys right now, but you can take virtual trips that immerse you in the sights, sounds and other appeals of those and other places and experiences … by reading about them.

A new high-speed rail route in Italy, from Turin (Torino) in the north to Reggio Calabria, located on the “toe” in the south, began operation on June 4. Previously, Reggio Calabria was serviced only by non-high-speed trains, and anyone traveling between the two points by rail had to switch trains in Rome.