COMMENTS TO MY PAGE "ART POSTCARDS WITH A RAILWAY MOTIVE"

Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits

Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (International Sleeping-Car Company) (CIWL) is a Belgian-founded French company known for providing and operating luxury trains with sleepers and dining cars during the late 19th and the 20th centuries.  It was founded by Georges Nagelmackers in 1872. The company ran either complete trains of Wagon-Lits cars or individual sleeping and dining cars coupled onto services operated by the state railways of the European countries.  These cars were always drawn by locomotives of the various state railways, as Wagon-Lits did not operate its own fleet of locomotives. Prior to World War I, CIWL held a monopoly being the only group catering to the needs of the international railroad traveller. The company introduced famous services, such as the Orient Express, the Nord Express, and the Sud Express and expanded to markets outside Europe with involvement in Russia,  Manchuria , China and Egypt. After World War I  CIWL flourished again.  Metal coaches, replacing older wooden ones constructed of teak, became available in 1926. In 1931 the fleet reached its maximum of 2268 vehicles. This period can be considered the zenith of luxury rail travel by CIWL's carriages.  CIWL also commissioned renowned artists such as  Cassandre to design posters advertising its services. After World War II, CIWL increasingly focused on the travel agency and management business. By 1971, the rolling stock of CIWL had become aged and outdated, and the renovation and replacement needed were beyond the company. It sold or leased its coaches to big European state railway companies. An international sleeping car pool named TEN (Trans Euro Night) was founded at that time and took over and managed (until 1995) many of the carriages of CIWL. Today Wagons-Lits is headquartered in Paris. Currently CIWL provides service on night trains and catering services in several European countries and on Eurostar services to the United Kingdom.

November 23nd 2024

 

 
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