Luxury + trains = murder. This is what growing up on a diet of Poirot taught us. But they’re back - with a vengeance. With shifting environmental attitudes towards flights, it seems that travelling opulently by train is IN and this renaissance has rolled out some fantastic luxury interiors resplendent with surface art! Slow travel is sexy again. Bring on 2025.
Yes, for those who’ve been on one, a sleeper train evokes memories of sleeping poorly upright on a chair or battling to find space to change or manoeuvre around a cramped and distinctly unglamorous cabin (oftentimes with a stranger in the berth below). There are some sleeper experiences, however, that couldn’t be further from this - taking inspiration from the golden age of luxury rail travel there are some really beautiful interiors that make us want to pack our suitcases and head to the station.

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot (Credit: ITV for MASTERPIECE)
The Venice-Simplon Orient Express had six suites designed by Wimberly Interiors, capturing the essence of the train’s destinations in an Art Deco spirit. The suites are ultra-luxurious and adorned with marquetry - a traditional method of wood inlay often associated with travel and opulence. The design of each suite communicates something about the eponymous city - Venice has murano chandeliers and Venetian mirrors, Istanbul has embossed leather and pearl inlay, Vienna uses gold and emerald green hues throughout, Prague uses mosaic to bring out Cubist motifs, Paris has Lalique glass throughout, and Budapest hints to Gothic and Ottoman architectural styles through its details.
Details from Prague and Istanbul Suites on Venice-Simplon Orient Express (Credit: World of Interiors)
The Chairman’s Train is a privately-owned train based in the UK. Dilapidated carriages from the Caledonian Sleeper’s hey-day have been majorly overhauled by interior designer Sara Oliver. A. Dunn and Son, a company that did pieces for the Titanic’s interior, provided marquetry for The Chairman’s Train & each bedroom is decorated to a theme including, in some cases, children’s books. The rear-most carriage has a Juliet balcony allowing guests to marvel at the views en-route. The train is available for private chartering.
Images of Main Room Suite on The Chairman's Train (Credit: Andrew Fox and World of Interiors)
Whilst not strictly moveable, the InterContinental Khao Yai Resort in Thailand has repurposed disused train carriages, transforming them into luxurious suites for their guests to marvel at and soak in the rail history of the area. They were designed by Bill Bensley and include hand-woven fabrics by Jim Thompson. There is even a rail museum at the hotel for the train-enthusiasts.
Images of Train Carriage Suite at InterContinental Khao Yai (Credit: InterContinental Khao Yai)
Maxime d’Angeac is transforming disused Orient Express carriages for Accor’s newly launching service. The train is being reimagined in a maximalist style - think rich tones and luxurious accents. The master suite is rumoured to have Lalique panels and secret cabinets… watch this space!

Orient Express Carriage (Credit: Accor)
These are just a few of the luxuriously reimagined train experiences that exist today, and there are several more in the pipeline as exuberant train travel has its renaissance as there are shifts towards slow travel. We look forward to learning more about future designs and keep our fingers crossed that we can travel on one of them soon... to enjoy the opulent design and intricate commissioned artworks aboard.