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Franchise(s) | Railtour |
---|---|
Main service(s) | Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Belmond British Pullman Belmond Royal Scotsman Eastern & Oriental Express Belmond Andean Explorer |
Fleet size | Continental train: 18 carriages, UK train: 9 carriages |
Parent company | Belmond |
Other | |
Website | Official website |
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.
These VSOE services are not to be confused with a regularly scheduled train called the Orient Express , which ran nightly between Paris and Bucharest – in the last years of operation cut back to between Strasbourg and Vienna – until 11 December 2009. This latter was a normal EuroNight sleeper train and was the lineal descendant of the original Orient Express daily departure from Paris to Vienna and the Balkans. While this descendant train was primarily used for every sort of passengers to Central and Eastern Europe, applying only the standard international train fares, the VSOE train is aimed at tourists looking to take a luxury train ride. Fares on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express are high as the service is intended not as an ordinary rail service, but as a leisure event with five-star dining included.
The train was established in 1982 by James Sherwood of Kentucky, United States. In 1977 he had bought two original carriages at an auction when the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits withdrew from the Orient Express service, passing the service on to the national railways of France, Germany, and Austria. Over the next few years, Sherwood spent a total of US$16 million purchasing 35 sleeper, restaurant and Pullman carriages. On 25 May 1982, the first London–Venice run was made.
The VSOE has separate restored carriages for use in the UK and for mainland Europe, but all of the same vintage (mostly dating from the 1920s and 1930s). Passengers are conveyed across the English Channel by coach on the Eurotunnel shuttle through the Channel Tunnel. In the UK Pullman carriages are used; in continental Europe sleeping cars and dining cars of the former Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits are used. Sleeper carriages currently have three levels of accommodation available: Grand Suites, Suites, and Historic Cabins. From 2025 the private carriage "L'Observatoire" is scheduled to be added.
VSOE runs services between March and November. The classical London – Paris – Milan – Venice (and return) route via the Simplon Tunnel was altered in 1984 to serve Zürich, Innsbruck, and Verona through the Brenner Pass. [1] At the end of the 2010s an asymmetrical route was introduced, providing Geneva instead of Zürich, and the classical Simplon route eastbound, but sometimes also through the Gotthard pass. This journey is offered once or twice a week, depending on other trips. Two or three times a year Prague, Vienna, and Budapest are also accessed and traditionally once a year - particularly in the turn of August/September - the train goes to Istanbul via Budapest, Sinaia and Bucharest – in the last three cities a sightseeing tour (and in the two capitals an overnight stay in a hotel) also takes place.
While these routes are available nearly every year, the Istanbul trip has been cancelled occasionally, due to political or health issues. Some seasons have also included unique destinations in Switzerland (Lucerne), Germany (Cologne, Berlin, Dresden), Slovakia (Banská Bystrica and the High Tatras), Poland (Warsaw, Malbork, Cracow) and even Scandinavia (Copenhagen, Stockholm). Such special journeys are currently provided to Cannes, Rome, Florence, Brussels and Amsterdam. Many of these trips - together with Prague, Vienna and Budapest used to have different starting and final stations, either beginning in Venice and ending in Paris/London or vice versa (as the Istanbul trip), but as of 2022 the routes feature either Paris (Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Istanbul) or Venice (Amsterdam, Brussels) in both directions.
The VSOE continental leg contains 18 carriages – 12 sleeping cars, three dining cars, a bar car and two former Ytb class sleepers, which provide accommodation for the staff and storage rooms for luggage and supplies as well. The ten Lx class sleepers have nine double compartments, while the two S1 class sleepers used to accommodate 17 passengers in four double and nine single compartments. As a higher service class Cabin Suites were offered until 2020, featuring two inter-connected compartments, one for sleeping, other for sitting. In March 2018 [2] the Grand Suite class was introduced with the refitting of the S1 sleeping car No. 3425. The Grand Suites (bearing the names Paris, Istanbul and Venice) include double or twin bed layouts and a drawing saloon with a sofa (which is convertible to a third bed) and en-suite bathroom. [3] Three further Grand Suites (Prague, Budapest and Vienna) in the second S1 sleeping car No. 3309 were meant to be introduced to the service in March 2020, [4] but postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2023 the Suite class was introduced featuring a similar layout, however with convertible beds (double and twin either) due to the lack of the drawing saloon. [5] The design is related to the Grand Suites, with the project names reflecting to famous landmarks around the train's route: La Forêt (The Forest, inspired by Black Forest), La Campagne (The Countryside, with a reminiscence to wineyards of France and Northern Italy), Les Montagnes (The Mountains, particularly Arlberg), and Les Lacs (The Lakes, among them Lake Zug and Lake Como). [6] Four such compartments - one of each design per carriage - were installed in the Lx carriages 3552 and 3555. It's possible, that also a third vehicle might be rebuilt with 'Suites'. [7] The remaining conventional compartments are currently sold as Historic Cabins. For 2025 a private carriage L'Observatoire is scheduled to be rebuilt from Lx 3553, containing a bedroom for two, a lounge, a library, a tea chamber and a bathroom with bathtub. The interior design is done by French artist JR. [8] The carriage was exhibited in April 2024 at the Venice Biennale to provide first impressions. [9]
The Lx sleeping cars were refurbished in Ostend by the CIWL workshops, while the rest at the Hansa carriage works in Bremen. The renovation was made with some technical modifications, to match today's safety and comfort requests, for example the dining cars were fitted with modern kitchens. They have also become air-conditioned, which was introduced in 2017 even in the sleeping cars. In the mid-2000s the original bogies were changed to brand new ones to achieve higher speeds (160 km/h instead of 140 km/h).
The train has no dedicated motive power, haulage is provided in every country by the respective state railways - except Belgium and Netherlands, where it's run by the private freight operator Lineas - with conventional electric and diesel locomotives designated for express and InterCity trains. The only known steam traction took place 2017 in Hungary - however, only within Budapest - by a MÁV Class 424.
In 2022-2023 due to the delayed inspection of the staff sleepers, a Trenitalia couchette car was added as a substitute, but only on the classic Calais - Venice route and to Amsterdam. [10] [11]
Carriage type | CIWL number | Built by | Year of construction | Designer and design | Notice |
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Sleeping car type "S1" | 3309 | Ateliers Métallurgiques de Nivelles | 1927 | Originally: René Prou, floral motives Grand Suites: Wimberly Interiors | 2019-2020 refurbished with "Grand Suite" compartments |
Sleeping car type "S1" | 3425 | Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company | 1929 | Originally: René Prou, leaf motives Grand Suites: Wimberly Interiors | 2017-2018 refurbished with "Grand Suite" compartments |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3473 | Metropolitan Carriage Wagon and Finance Co Ltd | 1929 | Morrison, "flower garland" motives | Steward's compartment included |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3482 | Metropolitan Carriage Wagon and Finance Co Ltd | 1929 | Morrison, "trapeze" motives | Steward's compartment included |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3483 | Metropolitan Carriage Wagon and Finance Co Ltd | 1929 | Morrison, "flower basket" motives | Steward's compartment included |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3525 | Entreprises Industrielles Charentaises | 1929 | René Prou, Sapelli pearl | |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3539 | Entreprises Industrielles Charentaises | 1929 | René Prou, Sapelli pearl | Steward's compartment included |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3543 | Entreprises Industrielles Charentaises | 1929 | René Prou, Sapelli pearl | |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3544 | Entreprises Industrielles Charentaises | 1929 | René Prou, Sapelli pearl | |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3552 | Entreprises Industrielles Charentaises | 1929 | Originally: Nelson, tiger lily Suites: Wimberly Interiors | Steward's compartment included, 2022–2023 refurbished with "Suite" compartments |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3553 | Entreprises Industrielles Charentaises | 1929 | Originally: Nelson, tiger lily L'Observatoire: JR | Steward's compartment included, 2023-2025 to be refurbished as "L'Observatoire" private carriage |
Sleeping car type "Lx" | 3555 | Entreprises Industrielles Charentaises | 1929 | Originally: Nelson, tiger lily Suites: Wimberly Interiors | Steward's compartment included, 2022–2023 refurbished with "Suite" compartments |
Bar car | 3674 | Entreprises Industrielles Charentaises | 1931 | Gérard Gallet | Originally a dining car, redesigned as bar car |
Sleeping car type "Ytb" | 3912 | Ateliers Métallurgiques de Nivelles | 1949 | Refitted with staff sleeping compartments and storage rooms | |
Sleeping car type "Ytb" | 3915 | Ateliers Métallurgiques de Nivelles | 1949 | Refitted with staff sleeping compartments and storage rooms | |
Dining car | 4095 | Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company | 1927 | L'Oriental, Interior originally in dining car No. 3083 | |
Dining car | 4110 | Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company | 1927 | Étoile du Nord | |
Pullman dining car | 4141 | Entreprises Industrielles Charentaises | 1929 | René Lalique | Côte d’Azur, fitted with a champagne bar |
VSOE operates services within Great Britain separate from its main continental services as an open access operator. The Belmond British Pullman (which runs the London to Folkestone Harbour leg of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express) consists mainly of former Brighton Belle Pullman coaches. It operates services mainly in the South of England and the Midlands, with York as its most northerly terminus. Usually operating from Victoria Station in London, specials run throughout the south of London to historic sites, including elaborate dining along the way. On 9 October 2007, the Westfield Group rented the whole train to open its new shopping centre in Derby, departing from the former LNER London King's Cross station.
The film Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One features the VSOE, running to Innsbruck, as the location of the final fight scene.
The Northern Belle was a more extensive day service operating throughout Great Britain, as far north as Inverness and south to Plymouth. It was in service and design closely resembling to the UK Pullman train, but composed of more modern British Rail Mark 2 and Mark 1 carriages. It was introduced in 2000, and sold 2017 by Belmond to private owners, who continue to operate it in the same manner.
The Royal Scotsman , first introduced in 1985, was taken over by Belmond in 2005. This overnight luxury train provides journeys through Scotland northbound from Edinburgh and Glasgow with its refitted East Coast Main Line Mark 1 Pullman carriages.
Inspired by this train, the Grand Hibernian was made of Irish Mark 3 carriages, and entered in service in August 2016 for trips in Ireland and Northern Ireland, but ceased in February 2021.
The company also operate services in Southeast Asia (the Eastern & Oriental Express between Bangkok and Singapore) and Peru (PeruRail). Between 1998 and 2003, a service on the East Coast of Australia named the Great South Pacific Express was also run. Those cars remained in storage in Australia after the service ceased, and transferred in 2016 to Peru for the Belmond Andean Explorer overnight train from Cusco to the Lake Titicaca and Arequipa. Since then the former day train with the same name and on the same route (however, only between Cusco and the Lake Titicaca) is featured as Titicaca Train. It has Pullman dining carriages and a bar car with observatory platform, like the Hiram Bingham train, which serves the narrow-gauge line towards Machu Picchu.
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway passenger car that can accommodate all passengers in beds of one kind or another, for the purpose of sleeping. George Pullman was the American innovator of the sleeper car.
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.
First class is the most luxurious and most expensive travel class of seats and service on a train, passenger ship, airplane, bus, or other system of transport. Compared to business class and economy class, it offers the best service and most comfortable accommodation.
A passenger railroad car or passenger car, also called a passenger carriage, passenger coach, or passenger bogie is a railroad car that is designed to carry passengers. The term passenger car can also be associated with a sleeping car, a baggage car, a dining car, railway post office and prisoner transport cars.
The Southern Railway (SR) gave the designation 5-BEL to the five-car all-Pullman electric multiple units which worked the prestigious Brighton Belle trains between London Victoria and Brighton. These units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated TOPS Class 403. Between 1933 and 1935 the units were designated 5-PUL.
The Southern Railway (SR) gave the designations 6 PUL, 6 CITY and 6 PAN to electric multiple units built to work the routes between London and Brighton, West Worthing and Eastbourne. None of these units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated a TOPS class number. The 6 PUL units were designated 6 COR until 1935.
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 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.
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 sleeping cars that were built and operated by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968.
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.
Luxury trains are 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.
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 & 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.
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.
The Orient Express is a private luxury train service operated by Accor. It will carry passengers between Paris and Istanbul, like the original Orient Express, beginning in 2025. It will also offer journeys around Italy.
The train still rolls by some of Europe's most captivating scenery through cities that have become legends in themselves: London, Paris, Innsbruck, Verona and Venice.