New Wes Anderson-designed luxury train car debuts in UK

Train is meeting twee in a brand new luxury locomotive travel experience.  

Symmetry-obsessed director Wes Anderson has teamed up with luxury hotelier Belmond to design a special carriage on a restored 1950s British Pullman train.

“I love trains!” Anderson said in a statement. “I have often had the chance to invent train compartments and carriages in my movies — so I was immediately pleased to say ‘yes’ to this real-life opportunity, and very eager to make something new while also participating in the process of preservation which accompanies all the classic Belmond train projects. They are keeping something special alive; igniting this endangered species of travel into a new golden era.”

Dubbed the Cygnus carriage — so-named after the Greek god of balance, represented in design features on the train in the form of a swan imagery — the carriage has a “dream-like storytelling” quality, Belmond said.

Other features on the train are also reflective of the movie director’s signature style, which include signature symmetrical marquetry, unique color pallets — including a pastel-pink ceiling and furniture, and carpet with green tones — silver leaves etched into the woodwork and custom tapestry, all in the art nouveau style.

Guests can enjoy afternoon tea, a murder mystery dinner featuring contemporary British menus and free-flowing champagne or one of several other adventures as the train chooga-choogas through the English countryside.

All that classic comfort and Hollywood whimsy will cost you.

The carriage offers two new private coupés, each of which can hold up to four people and are available for private booking. The entire carriage can also be booked for private affairs of up to 26 people. Prices start at $546 per person for dining and $2,455 to book the Anderson coupé.

Belmond, the parent company that launched the British Pullman, owns other luxury accommodations, including a rail hotel, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, a 1920s retrofitted train that toots through Europe’s most romantic cities, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Paris, Istanbul and Venice and will set you back roughly $5,600 dollars a night.

Beats Amtrak!