The history of Orient Express is filled with mystery, intrigue, culinary excellence and luxury.
Elegant and historic train, the Orient Express made its maiden journey from Paris to Vienna on June 5, 1883. The train left for Vienna from Strasbourg on its final journey on December 12, 2009, completing an illustrious 126 years connecting people with heritage.
Orient Express has a long and interesting history of bringing people and heritage together. The train is steeped with copious amounts of intrigue and mystery and is peppered with luxury, adventure and timeless heritage. The two popular words in the history of international travel – ‘Orient Express’ – are commonly linked to Paris and Istanbul, the original destinations of this historical train.
This passenger train service was launched by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagon-Lits. Its maiden journey from Paris to Vienna was on June 5, 1883. It was called Express d’Orient during the initial years and in 1891, it was officially renamed as Orient Express. Initially, in the year 1882, a train called the ‘Train Éclair de luxe’ was used by Georges Nagelmackers, son of a Belgian banker, as a test train. It left Paris on the 10th of October, 1882 and arrived in Vienna on the 11th of October, 1882.
The Orient Express is not only known for its enchanting beauty and culinary excellence, but also famous for its constantly changing train route. One of the reasons why the name ‘Orient Express’ is steeped in romance is connected to the routes it travelled – three of Europe’s most popular and romantic destinations – Paris, Vienna and Istanbul. The Orient Express had 10 wood paneled compartments with either a single bed or double beds (one over the other). There were no baths or showers on board, only a washbasin was available. The compartments were used as sleeper compartments in the night and during the day; they were converted into sitting rooms. They were quickly converted into luxurious carpeted sitting rooms, complete with a sofa and table.
The beauty and elegance of the Orient Express, perhaps, was in its peak during 1920s, just a few years before the World War I. The services of the train were suspended during the period of the War and resumed after the hostilities ended in 1918. However, soon after resuming the services, Orient Express regained its popularity and patronage by the rich and wealthy. The 1930’s can, perhaps, be considered the golden period in the history of this train. Three parallel services, namely, the Orient Express, the Arlberg Orient Express and the Simplon Orient Express were being operated. This was the period when Orient Express came to be known as one of the most luxurious and elegant vehicle on wheels. It started carrying a number of sleeping cars that offered permanent service, and restaurant cars where exotic food was prepared. A number of celebrities, diplomats, royalty, and business people – the rich and the famous – started frequenting the Orient Express. However, the services were disrupted during the Second World War as well and they did not resume until after 1945.
The Orient Express stopped running in the year 1962 and it was replaced with a slow service train called the Direct Orient Express that ran from Paris to Belgrade every day and from Paris to Istanbul and Athens twice weekly. In fact, the Direct Orient Express services were completely withdrawn in the year 1977. Many considered this to be the end of the Orient Express, but a similar service of the same name ran from Paris to Bucharest until the year 2001. During the final years of the Orient-Express, the train ran as a EuroNight service from December 14, 2008 to December 2009.
The popularity of the Orient Express reached its zenith when its glamour and history ensured that it made its way into popular culture. It became a part of literature featuring in books, films and documentaries. One of the most famous plots and murder mystery stories of all time, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie was based on the events happening onboard the train. Although the name suggests Orient Express, it actually takes place on the Simplon Orient Express. In the famous book Dracula by Bram Stoker, the Orient Express is mentioned. In fact, movies Orient Express (1934) and Orient Express (1954) are film adaptations of a book by Graham Greene called Stamboul Train and a plot involving passengers of the train respectively.
Orient Express has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape of the world of travel. The rich history and intrigue surrounding this train is amazing; everyone remembers this train to be the one where Hercule Poirot solved the mystery of the murder, the same train which James Bond rode from Istanbul to London to save the world – yet another time, and the same train from where Alfred Hitchcock’s young lady disappeared from. Everything about the train: from its constantly changing route map to its popularity with spies, to its exotic cuisine to its enchanting décor, continues to enthrall people world over.]]>
