Past meets Present

Once Upon a Time... There was the future Orient Express Train

Photos by Maxime d’Angeac Martin Darzacq

140 years ago, Georges Nagelmackers turned his dream into reality by launching the first luxury Orient Express trains. Today, the legend continues with the unveiling of the future Orient Express train. Completely re-imagined, the old historic carriages, disappeared, forgotten, and then found again, are back in service. For years, several vintage Orient Express train carriages lay, forgotten, at a small railway station on the border between Poland and Belarus. Arthur Mettetal, a French railway fan spotted the distinctive blue carriages in a YouTube video, kickstarting a journey across Europe to track down the lost trains in 2015.

Hospitality group Accor purchased the rediscovered carriages and enlisted Parisian architect Maxime d'Angeac to meticulously restore them, ready for operation on a Paris to Istanbul rail route that's set to operate from 2025. The first glimpse of the renovated interiors suggest a glamorous travel experience. The cars’ decor is inspired by the 1920s glamour, combining Art Deco with modern luxury. Sébastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO, Accor: “We are proud, today, to reveal the first images of the future Orient Express train. A story inspired by a dream, a timeless train, the object of all fantasies and which becomes a reality. Maxime d’Angeac’s design awakens the myth with the revelation of its luxury, modernity, and French elegance. Tomorrow, the Orient Express will shine again, proud of its 140 years of history and looking to the future. The legend continues.” Fascinated by the great revolutionary artistic movements and a lover of travel novels, architect Maxime d'Angeac has been carrying out prestigious restoration and decoration projects for luxury houses such as Daum, Hermès, and Guerlain for the past 20 years. With this project, he writes the new destiny of a myth. An idea born of a dream, he explains: "This is the reinterpretation of a legendary train, conceived as a new embassy of French luxury, sublimated by the know-how and talents of the best French craftsmen.”

Spectacular and unexpected, the Dining-Car revisits the codes of the Orient Express. Maxime d'Angeac reinterprets the "rail" motif created by Suzanne Lalique-Haviland in the 1930s, which has been reworked on the partitions using the stoneboard technique. Under a mirrored ceiling, crossed by a series of arches, tables and wrap-around armchairs line up, lit by lampshades revisiting the original models.

The Suites invite you into absolute comfort and a functional spirit. Everywhere, the corners are rounded, the partitions are covered with precious wood and leather, the headboards embroidered with wood, mother of pearl and bronze. In a niche, the famous Lalique "Blackbirds & Grapes" panels, originating from the historic train, are displayed. At the time of the "Great Transformation," the large sofas are revealed in the comfort of a large bed. A bathroom and dressing room complete the ingenious layout.

Orient Express unveils for the first time the decor of the future Bar-Car, a sumptuous showcase inviting passengers under large domes of light inspired by the Second Empire style. The bar area features a glass counter and an ideal tribute to René Lalique. At each table, a clock rings for cocktail and dinner times. A call button is reserved for the champagne service. Another for the staff.