Rail and luxury holiday enthusiasts will soon be able to travel on the world's most famous train once more.
The Orient Express has a reputation that exceeds all other trains – thanks in no small part thanks to the Agatha Christie murder mystery set on a journey in the 1930’s.
Its gilded walls, classic bunker rooms and Art Deco glamour captured the minds of millions of people desperate to spend a journey basking in its splendour – and plenty of Brits dream of travelling on the stunning train.
Setting forth on its first trip from Paris, France to Istanbul, Turkey in 1883 the Orient Express was created for the upper classes in the Golden Era of train travel.
But, sadly, by 2018 the train had been lying abandoned for around a decade when it was discovered by historians and bought by the Accor hotel group’s Orient Express brand.
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of sipping a cocktail in the dining room before heading back to their bedroom is in luck.
The train is being renovated and will depart from Paris once again in 2024.
While the routes the train embarks on haven’t been confirmed, it’s believed that it will likely follow a similar journey to the original from France to Istanbul, reports LonelyPlanet.
The 40-passenger train crossed Europe from 1883 to 1977 when cheap air travel made it become a less popular option.
It was revived in 1982 running from Paris to Bucharest, but the last train bearing the name Orient Express finished all service in 2009.
Thirteen years on holidaymakers are all about trying unusual experience and other luxury trains have been successful.
The Belmond Andean Explorer in Peru, South America boasts sumptuous en-suite cabins, two dining rooms serving up mouth-watering locally-sourced meals and a drinks lounge complete with grand piano.
While a tequila train in Mexico offers a drinking experience like no other.
The Orient Express isn’t only an icon because of its starring role in Murder on the Orient Express, but also because of the mysterious disappearance of its carriages.
It was only found in 2015 when Arthur Mettetal, a researcher in industrial history, spotted the train while watching a YouTube video on France’s state rail company SNCF.
The 13-carriage train sat in Malaszewicze train in Poland, waiting to be recovered and sold.
The train is currently being renovated by architect Maxime d’Angeac, who plans to give it a modern update while sticking to the elegance of the 1930s design that everyone knows and loves.
The train features engraved glass panels, marquetry – a veneer craft that creates beautiful wooden patterns – and Art Deco details.
The renovated model will have 14 sleeping carriages, a restaurant, a bar and an “experiential salon”.
Performances and events will take place on the journey and three suites will be available – including a presidential option that takes up a whole carriage.
Bookings and pricing is not yet available, but the first carriages will be revealed in October this year.
