UK Pullman train, but composed of more modern British Rail Mark 2 and Mark 1 carriages. It was introduced in 2000, and sold 2017 by Belmond to private owners, who continue to operate it in the same manner. The Royal Scotsman, first introduced in 1985, was taken over by Belmond in 2005. This overnight luxury train provides journeys through Scotland northbound from Edinburgh and Glasgow with its refitted East Coast Main Line Mark 1 Pullman carriages. Inspired by this train, the Grand Hibernian was made of Irish Mark 3 carriages, and entered in service in August 2016 for trips in Ireland and Northern Ireland, but ceased in February 2021. The company also operate services in Southeast Asia (the Eastern & Oriental Express between Bangkok and Singapore) and Peru (PeruRail). Between 1998 and 2003, a service on the East Coast of Australia named the Great South Pacific Express was also run. Those cars remained in storage in Australia after the service ceased, and transferred in 2016 to Peru for the Belmond Andean Explorer overnight train from Cusco to the Lake Titicaca and Arequipa. Since then the former day train with the same name and on the same route (however, only between Cusco and the Lake Titicaca) is featured as Titicaca Train. It has Pullman dining carriages and a bar car with observatory platform, like the Hiram Bingham train, which serves the narrow-gauge line towards Machu Picchu. Media coverage British travel journalist Alan Whicker joined the inaugural service in 1982, interviewing invited guests and celebrities along the way for his Whicker's World TV series. Comedian Michael Palin travelled on the train on the first leg of his journey Around the World in 80 Days in 1988, during which time he was accommodated in sleeping carriage 3544. Actor David Suchet, best known for playing Hercule Poirot in a long-running series of television films adapting all of Agatha Christie's Poirot stories, including Murder on the Orient Express, hosts the Masterpiece Mystery episode "David Suchet on the Orient Express" about a real trip on this train which originally aired on 7 July 2010. References Further reading External links Official site of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Luxury Train Calendar of available train trips Named passenger trains of the United Kingdom Railway services introduced in 1982 Named passenger trains of Italy Named passenger trains of Switzerland Named passenger trains of France Luxury trains de:Orient-Express#Venice Simplon Orient Express ja:オリエント急行#ベニス・シンプロン・オリエント・エクスプレス