The Orient Express train will relaunch in 2027, offering 17 restored vintage carriages dripping with original antiques, redesigned by architect Maxime d'Angeac. Olivia Palamountain reports

The Orient Express will return in 2027 with 17 original carriages dating from the 1920s and 1930s, redesigned by French architect Maxime d'Angeac.

Formerly known as the Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express, the historic Art Deco cars have been reimagined with original Lalique lamps, rosewood panelling and marble detailing.

D'Angeac has drawn on his personal library of travel novels and classic literature – including works by Paul Morand, Blaise Cendrars and Agatha Christie – to shape the interiors.The bar car features lounges under Second Empire-style domes supported by four columns, with green tones, rosewood, marble and original Lalique "flower" lamps salvaged from the Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express. The dining car includes arched mirrored ceilings, napa tables and armchairs. Behind a glass partition, passengers can watch the chef and brigade at work in the open kitchen.

Suites feature partitions in fine wood and leather, headboards with mother-of-pearl and bronze detailing, and original Lalique panels. The layout combines a daytime lounge with a bed configuration for night, alongside marble bathrooms.
The Orient Express is collaborating with the Musée des Arts Décoratifs on an exhibition marking the centennial of Paris's 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, under the patronage of Accor chief executive Sébastien Bazin.

Running until April 26, 2026, the exhibition celebrates the peak of Art Deco through contemporary scenography.