Original Orient Express Will Make A Comeback 45 Years After It Stopped Operating

While most of us know of the Orient Express for its opulence, famed guests, and being the setting of an Agatha Christie novel, not many would have had the chance to take a ride on its carriages, considering it shut down in 1977. 

However, due to a recent discovery of 17 of the line’s carriages in 2015, the original Orient Express is now set for a comeback, and it could be revived as an elegant way to travel across Europe in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

The carriages, which were bought over by French hospitality firm Accor, include luxurious sleeping cars, lounge cars, and a restaurant car, all of which still feature the original Art Deco decor from their heyday. 

According to Time Out, the train is now being restored in France, and when relaunched, the refurbished carriages will comprise suites with attached bathrooms, and even an entire car for performances and events. 

As per Travel + Leisure, the interiors of the first nine cars will be unveiled this December, while the remaining eight will gradually be showcased by 2024. Guillaume de Saint Lager, Vice President of Orient Express, told the site its designers were looking to find the perfect balance with the “past, present, and future.” 

It’s anticipated the train will travel along its original route between Istanbul and Paris, with the food served onboard inspired by old Orient Express menus of the past. 

“The rebirth of the Orient Express is a technological challenge, meeting scientific, artistic, and technical criteria, where the entire project has been conceived as a work of art. From the nuts and bolts stamped with the Orient Express’ signature to the innovative concept of the suites, an exact science of detail will allow travelers to rediscover the great splendor of the Orient Express,” said Maxime d’Angeac, an architect of the project. 

“Entrusted to the best artisans and decorators specializing in their unique fields, this embassy of French luxury will unveil a setting of absolute refinement, faithful to the art of tailoring. It will be an incomparable train travel experience, imaged through a contemporary vision of comfort and extreme luxury.” 

[via Time Out and Travel + Leisure, images via Accor / Xavier Antoinet]