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Luxury trains are a premium passenger rail service. Some luxury trains promote tourism in destinations across a region, while others (such as the Maharajas' Express) take passengers on a ride through a single country.
Luxury train travel has become popular. Luxury trains have restaurants, bars, bathrooms and sleeping and seating areas.
George Pullman's first sleeping car, the Pioneer, was introduced in 1865 and was followed two years later by "hotel cars". [1] The Pioneer was the first railway carriage with dining and sleeping areas, [2] and the Pullman Car Company was founded in 1880. [1]
Georges Nagelmackers founded the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, creator of the Orient Express. Inspired by Pullman trains in the United States, Nagelmackers returned to Europe and built a fleet of over 30 luxury trains which traveled to several European destinations. He is credited with beginning the age of luxury trains and grand hotels.[ citation needed ]
The best-known luxury train was the Orient Express, the setting of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express . Europe's first luxury train, it began its maiden journey across Europe on 5 June 1883 from Paris' Gare de l'Est. Although the original Orient Express ceased operations in 2009, private operators and public-private joint ventures provide luxury train travel in several countries. [3]
According to Belmond [4] (formerly known as Orient Express Hotels), [5] the company operates the highest number of luxury train tours in the world. With service in Europe, Asia and South America, Belmond is the only private luxury tour provider (with the exception of Russia's Golden Eagle Trans Siberian Express) to offer continental or intercontinental service. [6]
The Venice-Simplon Orient Express, with service from London to Venice, was voted the top luxury train in the world in 2009. [7] The Royal Scotsman offers service across Scotland and, occasionally, the rest of Britain. The Belmond Grand Hibernian began operations in Ireland on 30 August 2016.
The Eastern and Oriental Express has service from Bangkok to Singapore (via Kuala Lumpur) and to Vientiane. Covering over 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) [8] of peninsular Southeast Asia, its two-day journey has frequent stops at scenic locations. [9]
The Belmond Andean Explorer services Arequipa to Cusco and vice versa [10] and the Belmond Hiram Bingham, named after the explorer who rediscovered the Inca citadel Machu Picchu, runs from the Sacred Valley to the landmark.
British Pullman cars were used on the Brighton Belle out of London Victoria station. [11]
Northern Belle is a privately owned luxury train introduced in 2000. It consists primarily of British Rail Mark 2 coach stock, refurbished internally and painted externally to resemble the Brighton Belle's British Pullman coaches. Buffet cars are British Rail Mark 1 coaches. Although the train primarily operates in Northern England and Scotland, it also serves London and Bristol. The train has two British Rail Mark 3 sleeper coaches for its crew. [12] It departs from a number of northern cities, including Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Manchester. The Northern Belle has six dining cars named after historic British houses. [13]
Spain's state-owned network of luxury trains is operated by Renfe Operadora and runs from March to October on scheduled and charter trips. The main routes cross northern Spain and Andalusia, with special tours throughout the peninsula.
The Al Ándalus' luxury cars were built in France for use by members of the British monarchy when they travelled between Calais and the French Riviera. The main route takes passengers from Seville to Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera, Ronda, Granada, Úbeda, Baeza, Linares, Córdoba, Andalusia, and back to Seville. Al-Andalus Train
The oldest tourist train in Spain (operating since 1983), the El Transcantábrico has original 1923 Pullman coaches. [14] There are two routes: the Gran Lujo between San Sebastián and Santiago de Compostela, and the Clasico between León and Santiago de Compostela via Bilbao. Transcantabrico Train
The common areas of El Expreso de La Robla are three air-conditioned coaches with bar service. The coaches, designed for conferences, talks, courses, and meetings, are equipped with modern technological facilities. All interior areas of the train are connected, enabling passengers to move freely throughout the coaches. Expreso de La Robla
The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express began operation in April 2007 and takes passengers on a 6,000-mile (9,656 km) trip (the world's longest train journey) [6] across two continents and eight time zones. The Golden Eagle follows the Trans-Siberian Railway, which connects Moscow and European Russia with the Russian Far East, Mongolia, China, and the Sea of Japan.
Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian company which operates trains touring the Canadian Rockies and the northwestern U.S. Via Rail sold off its Rockies by Daylight scenic train to Rocky Mountaineer Vacations (which became Rocky Mountaineer) in 1990. Rocky Mountaineer operates four routes. [15] [16]
The Royal Canadian Pacific is a luxury overnight passenger train based in Calgary. The train has a royal warrant from Queen Elizabeth. The train makes charter runs along Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) tracks in summer and fall, taking passengers into the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and British Columbia. A typical six-day, five-night round trip runs through the Columbia River valley and Crowsnest Pass. The train halts at night to enable passengers to enjoy all the scenery. It consists of up to ten CPR luxury passenger cars (built between 1916 and 1931), two fully restored 1950s locomotives [17] and a booster unit. The CPR also owns a modern diesel GP38-2 locomotive, numbered 3084, [18] for backup use.
Seven Stars in Kyushu [19] is a deluxe sleeping-car excursion train which has toured the island of Kyushu since October 2013. Its name derives from Kyushu's seven prefectures and the train's seven cars. [20] The train has a piano, bar, suites, a mini-kitchen, a crew room, shower rooms, and toilets. It has two- and four-day round trips, departing from Hakata Station. The two-day tour visits Nagasaki, Aso and Yufuin, and the four-day tour visits Yufuin, Miyazaki, Miyakonojō, Hayato, Kagoshima-Chuo, Kagoshima, Aso, and Bungo-Mori.
Luxury trains in India include the Palace on Wheels, Deccan Odyssey, Golden Chariot and Maharajas' Express. Two destinations have been added to Royal Rajasthan on Wheels: Khajuraho and Varanasi. [21] The 22-coach train can carry 82 passengers and has 13 compartments, two lounges, a spa and a fitness center. [22] The Maharajas' Express is owned and operated by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). [23]
The Blue Train , covering about 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) between Pretoria and Cape Town, is South Africa's oldest and most well-known luxury train service. Rovos Rail started its Pride of Africa service in April 1989, offering pan-African luxury-train journeys spanning seven African countries by rail, air and water. [24]
The Ghan, a luxury train, runs 2,979 kilometres (1,851 miles) through the heart of the Australian continent from Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south. [25] The Indian Pacific is a long-distance train connecting Sydney on the east coast, Australia's largest city, with Perth on the west coast. [26]
The Orient Express was a long-distance passenger 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 main terminal stations in Paris in the northwest and Istanbul in the southeast, and branches extending service to Athens, Brussels, and London.
Folkestone West railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line in England, serving the western area of Folkestone, Kent. It is 69 miles 22 chains (111.5 km) down the line from London Charing Cross. All trains that call are operated by Southeastern.
The Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian rail-tour company based in Vancouver that operates luxury scenic trains on four rail routes in British Columbia, Alberta, Colorado, and Utah.
The Blue Train 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 boasts butler service, two lounge cars, an observation car, and carriages with gold-tinted picture windows, in soundproofed, fully carpeted compartments, each featuring its own en-suite. 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 Belmond Royal Scotsman is a Scottish overnight luxury train, started in 1985 by GS&WR, and run since 2005 by Belmond Ltd. Its itineraries include 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7-night journeys 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.
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.
Rovos Rail is a private railway company operating out of Capital Park Station in Pretoria, South Africa.
Belmond Ltd. is a hospitality and leisure company that operates luxury hotels, train services and river cruises worldwide. In 2015, the company had 35 deluxe hotels, 7 tourist trains, 3 river cruises and restaurants in 22 countries.
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.
Belmond British Pullman is a private luxury train that operates day and weekend journeys around Britain and also conveys passengers of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) between London and Folkestone, as part of their journey to Venice and other European cities.
Belmond Hiram Bingham is a luxury train operating day return trips from Poroy station outside Cusco to Aguas Calientes, the station for Machu Picchu in Peru.
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 & 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 and the service will run in another European country in the future.
Lorenzo Sousa Debarbieri is an entrepreneur, businessman and author from Lima who oversees large privately held tourism and railway companies in Peru.
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.