Timeless elegance: Britain’s new ‘ludicrously luxurious’ train

Fancy chugging along some of the globe’s most spectacularly scenic stretches, all the while propped up by plush furnishings and intermittently plied with excellent food and drink?

Such is the experience provided by heritage rail company Belmond, which operates six of the world’s most ludicrously luxurious trains – the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Eastern and Oriental Express, the Andean Explorer, the Hiram Bingham, Royal Scotsman and the British Pullman. These trains pamper their passengers while forging through Peru, Scotland, Malaysia and the like – and soon, there will be a seventh member of this exclusive club.

Enter the Britannic Explorer – due to join the Belmond fleet in July 2025 – a luxury hotel cruise train that will travel through some of the most magnificent landscapes in England and Wales. Until now, the new arrival has been a closely guarded secret – but last week, I was allowed a sneak peek inside, and the latest addition to the Belmond set does not disappoint.

The 11 coaches were formerly used by the Grand Hibernian train (which ran in Ireland between 2016 and 2021) but have been given a complete makeover, transformed by London design practice Albion Nord with an ethos inspired by the natural world.

Let’s start with the observation car, which – with its bar, armchairs and banquettes – will be the train’s social hub. The bar’s backlit amber glass discs, inspired by “the timeless charm of Victorian apothecaries”, cast a golden glow by night.

Meanwhile, the design theme of the two dining cars – malva and samphire – is the cultivation of herbs and flowers used in British cooking, with woven rattan panels, antique mirrored ceilings and floral lights. There is also a plush wellness suite that will host daily activities, with aestheticians and massage therapists providing a detox.

Then there are the cabins – 18 in total, providing two types of en-suite accommodation that is all about timeless elegance. The suites (of which there are 15) feature wallpaper designed by Luke Edward Hall (whose designs also grace the walls of Hotel Les Deux Gares in Paris), and staff transform cabin daybeds into double or twin beds while passengers enjoy their evening meal.

The larger grand suites, meanwhile – of which there are three – have separate sitting rooms (with a sofa, small marble table and chair), and are named after botanicals juniper, valerian and elder, their colours influencing the decorative schemes. Unusually for a railway carriage interior, the oak panelling has been left natural or given a matte finish, which gives a lighter, airy feel.