Designer Unveils $ 350 Million “Palace on Rails” Luxury Train Concept

(CNN) – A few years ago, long-distance train travel seemed to be on the verge of extinction, but a lot has changed since then.This classic style of travel is making a comeback as travelers seek greener ways to see the world.

Several new trains and routes are currently being prepared, such as the “Train of the ‘Dolce Vita'” from Italy, which will travel 10 routes through the best-known landscapes of the country, and the so-called “Midnight Trains”, an upcoming network of night services from Paris to 12 different European destinations.

However, French designer Thierry Gaugain plans to take the train travel experience to a whole new level with his latest concept: a private luxury train tailor-made for a lucky and very wealthy owner.

Gaugain, who has worked with prestigious designer Philippe Starck on countless projects, is known for his impressive yacht designs, including the 80-meter Venus vessel from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. But this is his first attempt to conceptualize a train.

Described as a luxurious “palace on rails”, the 400-meter-long train will consist of 14 carriages and glass so technologically advanced that it can go from opaque to completely transparent.

“Palace on rails”

“This train is intended for a single owner,” Gaugain explains to CNN Travel. “It is not a public train, nor is it a passenger train.”

“The owner we envision is someone who is aware of the uniqueness of this train and understands that we are not just talking about transportation. It’s about the journey, not how fast you get from point A to point B.”

Gaugain considers that travel has focused more on speed than on the journey itself, and considers the “G Train” as a means of transport in which those on board can have as much or more fun on the way to their chosen destination.

“Traveling is not a matter of speed,” he says. “It’s about taking time, because time is the only treasure we have.”

And not only the exterior of the train can be transformed with a simple switch, passengers can also change “the interior environment of the train in whatever section they are in”.

If you want to observe the outside environment, you can switch to transparent mode, but if you want to create your own views, you can change the glass to opaque and create practically any view you want.

“The train is a stage,” explains Gaugain. “You can change the light, the season or the rhythm to change your relationship with the weather.”

While a luxury train may not seem like the most obvious transition from motor yacht designs, Gaugain believes the idea first came to him as a child, and explains that trains have always fascinated him.

“There is something fantastic about trains,” he explains, “there are many romantic ideas tied to them.”

Time to brake

But Gaugain had one person in particular in mind when he envisioned the G Train: billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs’ widow.

“When the idea came to mind, I was thinking of her as a potential user,” she admits.

He has yet to find a customer and admits that he may have to find “someone as crazy” as him to buy the train. It is likely to cost about $ 350 million and the project will take at least two and a half years to build.

“Maybe the person who buys the train will start a new chapter in his life,” he says. “Why we [los viajeros] we are constantly in a hurry. We need time to slow down the inner journey and understand where we would like to go and understand our desires. “

With space for about 18 guests, the “G Train” will run at 160 kilometers per hour and will be adapted to run on railways throughout the Americas and Europe.

Gaugain has brought together several experts, including Swiss train builder Stadler, glassmaker Saint-Gobain, British engineering firm Eckersley O’Callaghan and safety company Marine Guard, to make sure the design is “feasible” .

“A train like this is very complicated,” he explains. “Because there is no train that runs on all the tracks in the world and adjusts to all systems.”

Enjoy the present

The “G Train” can be split in two if those on board decide they want to go in different directions.

Passengers enter through the welcoming lobby, located in the center of the train, which leads to its main residential area, which includes the owner’s accommodation and entertainment space, as well as an area for special guests, a social lounge and a Grand Room specifically designed for receptions.

Guests will also have access to a “secret” garden, while the train’s wings can be folded down to provide outdoor terraces, where parties or even concerts can be held on board.

The concept comes at a time when the resurgence of night and long-distance train travel continues. Austria’s OBB announced a collaboration with Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, France’s SNCF and the Swiss Federal Railways to launch new “Nightjet” routes, along with a sleeper train between Zurich and Barcelona, ​​over the next four years.

A look at the environment

The renewed interest in train travel has been closely related to concern for the environment, as travelers are more aware of their carbon footprint.

Gaugain says he is not surprised that things are going in this direction, predicting that the trains will become even more popular in the coming years.

“The train is not an object of the past,” he says. “Trains meet the present right now. Sustainability is one of the main reasons,” he adds.

“There is nothing more sustainable than trains when it comes to travel. The plane is very late, and other means consume a lot of energy. More and more [los trenes] they will be a vehicle for the future. And what we have in mind with this train is to make a vehicle for the future. A combination of extreme luxury and the best technology, “concluded Gaugain.