You can now ride in a luxury train carriage designed by Wes Anderson

‘I love trains!’ thrilled the Grand Budapest Hotel director

Wes Anderson pictured in his Belmond train carriage (Belmond)

Film director Wes Anderson – famous for his distinctive aesthetic and eye for retro-modern interiors – has designed a luxury train carriage in the UK.

The director of The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Royal Tenenbaums has kitted out the Cygnus carriage of Belmond’s luxurious British Pullman train, which runs glamorous day tours and dining experiences from London’s Victoria station.

Images of the new carriage show several Wes signatures, such as a love of mint green and powder pink shades, setting off the glossy wood panelling of the restored vintage train.

“I love trains!” said Anderson of the collaboration.

The carriage has lashings of mint green and powder pink (Belmond)

“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.”

There’s a swan theme to Anderson’s carriage designs, with metallic detail imitating water and swan-shaped Champagne coolers on tables.

The name of the carriage, Cygnus, refers to the Greek god of balance who often appears in myths in the form of a swan.

A day journey in the carriage with full dinner service costs from £400 per person.

Many of Anderson’s films reference historic design and architecture, with some, such as The Darjeeling Express, also evoking the golden age of train travel - making Belmond a natural partner to collaborate with.

A table setting on the British Pullman train (Belmond)

The luxury hotel group owns the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express as well as lavish trains in Scotland and Peru, and another plying the route between Bangkok and Singapore.

Other Anderson-themed travel experiences include the director’s designs for Milan’s Bar Luce, in the Fondazione Prada cultural centre, and a London-based exhibition inspired by designs for his film The French Dispatch.

His aesthetic is so recognisable that it’s sparked the book, website and social media channels Accidentally Wes Anderson, featuring images of curious, quirky and pleasing-to-the-eye decor and scenery you’d expect to see in an Anderson film.