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The Belmond Royal Scotsman is a Scottish overnight luxury train, started in 1985 by GS&WR (Great Scottish and Western Railway Co.), and run since 2005 by Belmond Ltd. Its itineraries include 2-, 3-, 4-, 5- or 7-night journeys [1] around the Scottish Highlands, visiting castles, distilleries and historic sites. Once each year, it also makes a 7-night journey around the whole of Great Britain. [2]
The first train was composed of Mark 1 sleeping cars and three vintage dining and lounge carriages. After the inauguration of the current train set in 1989, the vintage coaches have kept on running as the Queen of Scots charter train.
For the second train batch the train's former owner acquired Pullman cars, which were built in 1960 by Metropolitan Cammell for the East Coast Main Line. This train consisted of four sleeping cars, two dining cars, and one observation car .
The train's two dining cars have been replaced over the years. Dining Car 1, which used to be a Gresley kitchen car, was damaged in a shunting incident on depot and, as a wooden (Teak) bodied vehicle was deemed unsafe to continue passenger operations, it was withdrawn from mainline service. It was followed in 1992 by Pullman car Raven, acquired at the same time as the others in the train. Dining Car 2 used to be 99131, an ex-LNER SC1999 coach named Victory. It was replaced by the Pullman car Swift, which was acquired in 2011 and converted by Assenta Rail in Scotland. On 9 August 2011, the train hosted the very first wedding on an Orient Express train. [3]
Two former Mark 3 sleeping cars were added to the train in 1997 as service carriages, replacing two Mk1 coaches (99987 & 99966). One of them has also got double sleeping cabins.
Belmond acquired another Pullman coach in 2015 from CRRES (West Coast Railway Co Ltd) and again employed Assenta Rail to undertake outfitting and project management in order to create "State car - SPA". After provisional mechanical and body works at CRRES the coach was shipped to Mivan Marine in Antrim, where it was outfitted with two Bamford SPA rooms and 2 additional bedrooms (1 PRM Twin and 1 Double) with inter-connection. Upon completion the carriage was taken back to CRRES for final mechanical works and entry into the rolling stock library as 99337. The carriage entered service in September 2016.
Following an announcement in March 2023, a new accommodation category, Grand Suite, was launched in May 2024. Similar to their namesakes on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, the two compartments feature double beds and a drawing saloon with a sofa. [4] For this a new State Car 1 was converted from another Pullman car, Kitchen First 316 Magpie. It replaced the previous State Car 1 (ex Pullman Parlour First 324 Amber) in late April 2024. [5] For 2025, the introduction of two more Grand Suites and the abandoning of the Single cabins is scheduled, [6] for which one more replacement carriage, Pullman Kitchen First 315 Heron is foreseen. [7]
| Carriage | Current number | Former number and name | Layout [8] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Observation Lounge Car | 99965 | Pullman Kitchen First E319 Snipe | Loose chairs and sofas with coffee tables, bar, outside observation platform |
| Dining Car 1 | 99967 | Pullman Kitchen First E317 Raven | 20-seat dining saloon, kitchen |
| Dining Car 2 | 99960 | Pullman Kitchen First E321 Swift | 20-seat dining saloon, pantry, cellar, linen closet, managers office. |
| State Car - Spa | 99337 | Pullman Kitchen Second E337 | Two spa rooms, a double cabin and a PRM-accessible Twin cabin with inter-connection |
| State Car No. 1 | 316 | Pullman Kitchen First E316 Magpie | Two grand suites and a double cabin |
| State Car No. 2 | 99962 | Pullman Parlour First E329 Pearl | Four twin cabins |
| State Car No. 3 | 99963 | Pullman Parlour First E331 Topaz | Four twin cabins |
| State Car No. 4 | 99964 | Pullman Kitchen First E313 Finch | Three twin and two single cabins |
| State Car No. 5 | 99968 | 10541 (Mk III Sleeper) SLEP | Two double cabins, staff sleeping cabins, staff toilet and shower, generator |
| Service Car | 99969 | 10556 (Mk III Sleeper) SLEP | Staff sleeping cabins, staff toilet and shower, staff mess, generator |
The train length is 675 feet (206 m) without locos.
Until 2015, the Royal Scotsman motive power was provided by West Coast Railways, usually using Class 37, Class 47 or Class 57 diesel locomotives.
For the 2016 season, the haulage contract was taken over by GB Railfreight. Two of their Class 66 locomotives, 66743 and 66746, being dedicated to the train. These were repainted into Belmond Royal Scotsman maroon livery with appropriate decals in April/May 2016, the work being carried out by Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh Works in Hampshire. 66746 appeared first, being released on 11 April with 66743 following on 30 May.[ citation needed ]
The train was a definite inspiration for Belmond's other luxury service Grand Hibernian which entered in service in August 2016 for trips in Ireland and Northern Ireland but ceased in February 2021. The train was made of Irish Mark 3 carriages, including five sleeping cars, two restaurant cars and an observation car, featuring a very similar composition and carriage layouts to the Royal Scotsman.
The carriages left Ireland in 2022, and Belmond planned to relocate the train to a new place inside Europe. It has been realized in shape of the new service Britannic Explorer [9] , which will have its first ride in July 2025, featuring round trips from London to Cornwall, Wales and The Lake District. Like the latest improvements of Royal Scotsman, the train will have Grand Suite compartments and a room for wellness treatments. [10]
The Orient Express was a long-distance passenger luxury train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe, with terminal stations in Paris in the northwest and Istanbul in the southeast, and branches extending service to Athens, Brussels, and London.
The British Rail Mark 3 is a type of passenger carriage developed in response to growing competition from airlines and the car in the 1970s. A variant of the Mark 3 became the rolling stock for the High Speed Train (HST).
A wide variety of hauled coaches have been used on the railways of Ireland. This page lists all those since 1945.
Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits is a Belgian-founded French company known for providing and operating luxury trains with sleepers and dining cars during the late 19th and the 20th centuries, most notably the Orient Express. Founded by Georges Nagelmackers in 1872, CIWL developed an international network of trains beginning in Europe, and later expanding to Asia and Africa. The trains provided luxury and comfort at a time when travelling was still rough and dangerous. The Armistice with Germany was signed in a CIWL train carriage, the Compiègne Wagon, on November 11, 1918.
The name Queen of Scots was originally given to an LNER/BR Pullman train which ran from London King's Cross to Glasgow Queen Street via Leeds Central, Harrogate, Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley. Later the Queen of Scots was a luxury touring train that ran exclusive tours around Scotland's scenic countryside. The train was mostly aimed at American tourists. The train ran from 1985 to 1989 as the Royal Scotsman and in 1990 as The Queen of Scots.
The Blue Train is a luxury train that travels an approximately 1,600-kilometre (990 mi) journey in South Africa, between Pretoria and Cape Town. It is one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world. It offers butler service, two lounge cars, an observation car, and carriages with gold-tinted picture windows, in soundproofed, fully carpeted compartments, each with its own en-suite bathroom. The service is promoted as a "magnificent moving five-star hotel" by its operators, who note that kings and presidents have travelled on it.
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) is a private luxury train service from London to Venice and other European cities. It is currently owned by Belmond.
A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not normally available using timetabled passenger services. The 'unusual' aspect may be the route of the train, the destination, the occasion, specific sections of railway track, the locomotive hauling the train, the rolling stock, or any combination of these. Organisers may own or hire locomotives or rolling stock, or tours may be organised by railway management or other bodies outside the railway fraternity. Perhaps the most famous railtour in England was the Fifteen Guinea Special, the last steam hauled main line train run by British Rail. Railtours are often identifiable through the use of a train headboard, often identifying the name of the specific tour or the tour operator. On TOPS, railtours are usually given a 1Zxx headcode. Exceptions to this rule include regularly scheduled railtours such as the Belmond British Pullman operated Venice-Simplon Orient Express trains.
PeruRail is a railway operator providing tourist, freight, and charter services in southern Peru. It was founded in 1999 by two Peruvian entrepreneurs and the British company Sea Containers.
The Great South Pacific Express was a luxury Australian train service, run in by Queensland Rail and Belmond, the operator of the Venice-Simplon Orient Express.
The Eastern & Oriental Express is a luxury cruise train that carries passengers between Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Pullman is the term for railroad dining cars, lounge cars, and especially sleeping cars that were built and operated by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968.
Belmond Ltd. is a hospitality and leisure company that operates hotels, train services and river cruises and safaris worldwide. In 2024, the company has 47 properties in 28 countries and territories, with 32 hotels, six tourist trains, seven river cruise boats and two safaris.
The Maharajas' Express is a luxury tourist train owned and operated by The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). It serves four routes across North-West and Central India, mainly centered on Rajasthan between the months of October and April.
A luxury train is a premium passenger rail service. Some luxury trains promote tourism in destinations across a region, while others take passengers on a ride through a single country. Luxury trains include restaurants, bars, bathrooms, and sleeping and seating areas.
Belmond British Pullman is a private luxury train that operates day and weekend journeys around Britain. Until 2023, it also served as the British leg of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) service between London and Venice.
The Northern Belle is a luxury train that operates day and weekend journeys around Britain from many different departure points. The train is named to recall the Belle trains of the 1930s, such as the weekly Northern Belle land cruise; operated by the London and North Eastern Railway every June from 1933 to 1939.
The Belmond Grand Hibernian was a luxury train service in Ireland. The service was operated by Belmond, the operator of several other luxury trains including the Venice Simplon Orient Express. It was officially launched on 30 August 2016 and ceased on 18 February 2021. The carriages were transferred to England, and after a complete redesign, will enter to service again as Britannic Explorer from July 2025.
The Belmond Andean Explorer, launched in May 2017, is South America's first luxury sleeper train. It replaces the eponymous Pullman day train, between Cusco and Puno, at Lake Titicaca. By the new train this trip is converted to a one-night journey, and extended from Puno for another overnight ride to Arequipa.
