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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 7 (November 1, 1928)

Luxury in Travel

Luxury in Travel.

Luxurious rail travel is on the increase throughout the world. In every land comes an insistent demand from the traveller for speedier and more luxurious passenger movement, and here at Home, the four big group railway systems are leaving no stone unturned to meet the present-day requirements of the travelling public.

As might be expected, it is in the highly competitive services between England and Scotland that greatest progress has been accomplished in the provision of luxury accommodation for the traveller. Two railways—the London, Midland and Scottish, and the London and North Eastern—are interested in Anglo-Scottish rail movement, and in addition there are regular services between the two capitals by luxurious saloon road motor vehicles run by outside undertakings. To retain traffic to rail both the London, Midland and Scottish and London and North Eastern lines have recently introduced some especially pleasing types of passenger cars. On the London, Midland and Scottish route these take the form of new lounge carriages of novel design. The lounge cars are equipped with comfortable easy chairs and with tables for the supply of refreshments. A floor of polished teak is covered with a handsome Persian carpet in rich shades of blue and maroon, and blue silk window curtains tone with the floor covering. On the London and North Eastern route to Scotland, out of King's Cross Station, London, there have been put into service on the “Flying Scotsman” train, new first-class dining cars ranking as the most luxurious vehicles of their type in the world. These cars closely resemble in their interior design the most exclusive of hotel restaurants. The fixed seats, common to dining cars, have been replaced by small arm chairs, and the whole design of the interior reproduces the elegant French workmanship of the eighteenth century. The ordinary lamp fittings have been discarded, and in their place artistic helmets mounted above the side windows diffuse a restful light throughout the interior of the vehicles. To travel to Scotland in cars such as these is indeed to revel in luxury, and the enterprise of the London and North Eastern Railway authorities in placing in service such outstandingly comfortable rolling-stock for long-distance travel is to be commended.