The legendary Orient-Express is making a comeback. Accor, which acquired the brand in 2022, is preparing to revive this mythical train service in 2027, and is now showcasing scale models of the future train at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. The exhibition, running until April 2026, coincides with the centennial celebration of Art Deco design.

The Orient-Express name alone evokes an entire world of luxury and long-distance travel, populated by spies, artists, and crowned heads of state. This autumn, the railway icon is getting a new lease on life in Paris as part of the major exhibition "1925-2025: One Hundred Years of Art Deco," which celebrates the centennial of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts that established the Art Deco movement.

The enduring appeal of the Orient-Express was clearly demonstrated during European Heritage Days, when the historic train displayed on track 20 at Austerlitz Station attracted thousands of visitors, with many discouraged by the extremely long waiting lines. The carriages, built in the 1920s and meticulously restored between 2015 and 2019, feature deep velvet upholstery, glass panels by René Lalique, and marquetry signed by René Prou, recreating the muffled and sumptuous atmosphere of bygone travel.

Starting October 22, the Museum of Decorative Arts is hosting an unprecedented presentation of this exceptional train. Three monumental scale models of the future Orient-Express and a cabin from the old "Étoile du Nord" train will be installed under the museum's nave as part of the Art Deco centennial exhibition. Visitors will discover how Accor's revival project reactivates this heritage through the vision of architect Maxime d'Angeac, artistic director of the new Orient-Express.

D'Angeac continues the ambition of the great "ensemble designers" of the era, such as Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann and Jean Dunand, who worked to create total environments where furniture, lighting, and materials harmonize perfectly. Expected on the rails in 2027, the future Orient-Express maintains the same standards as its illustrious predecessors, with every element from lighting fixtures to door handles developed to measure using multiple traditional crafts and skills.

Accor acquired the Orient-Express brand from the French national railway company SNCF in 2022. Two years later, a strategic partnership was formed with LVMH to deploy this emblematic brand in multiple forms: hotels, sailing vessels, and trains. The legend has never truly left the rails, as trains inspired by the Orient-Express already operate today.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, operated by Belmond (an LVMH subsidiary), connects Paris, Venice, and Istanbul in sumptuous style, while Accor operates the Dolce Vita Orient-Express, focused on Italy and inspired by 1960s design. Passengers can expect to pay at least 3,500 euros per person per night for this dream journey on rails.

The 2027 revival will mark the next chapter with the renaissance of the Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express. Its historic carriages were rediscovered in 2015 by Arthur Mettetal, a railway industry historian, during a global inventory conducted for SNCF. The restoration work has been carried out with meticulous attention to detail, reviving every aspect of the original luxury travel experience.

A century after the height of Art Deco, the Orient-Express once again establishes itself as a manifesto of French luxury, combining innovation with timeless beauty. At the Museum of Decorative Arts, its scale model condenses an entire imagination: that of a train that has become a work of art, ready to depart for another mythical journey. The exhibition runs from October 22, 2025, to April 26, 2026, at the Museum of Decorative Arts, located at 107 rue de Rivoli in Paris.