25 March 2010

The Orient Express

An early (1888) example of integrated transport planning! This is the timetable for the Orient Express for Winter 1888-1889 from the South Eastern and London-Chatam-Dover(sic) Railways, and the Chemins de Fer du Nord and de L'Est of France.
This is almost a tour of Imperial Europe, starting in Britain, passing through France and the Austro-Hungarian (Habsburg) Empire to the heart of the Ottoman.
The service ran from London to Constantinople (now Istanbul) via Paris.
The London-Vienna service ran daily from Victoria (LC&DR terminus) via Calais and Charing Cross (SER) via Boulogne, thence via Paris and Munich. Journey time was some 36 hours or so.
Paris-Constantinople ran weekly on Wednesday via Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade, taking three days.
A further Paris-Bucharest service ran on Thursday and Sunday via Vienna and Budapest.
Orient Express — an experience I’ve only had in films and novels.
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