Iconic Orient Express Makes Stop in Ruse, Bulgaria

Yesterday, the renowned Orient Express train arrived in Ruse, bringing passengers from four continents. Dozens of people gathered at the main train station in the Danube city to photograph the legendary train featured in Agatha Christie's novel.

An employee who works in the train's boutique shop, explained that the 48 passengers are accommodated in eight of the 15 carriages. He noted that two carriages contain three luxury apartments previously used by celebrities like Angelina Jolie and members of royal families.

The train includes three restaurants, a bar carriage, and three staff carriages, with a crew of 45 to 50 people. Among them is senior steward Nikolay Simeonov from Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, who is on board for the fifth time. He mentioned that most of his colleagues are from France and Italy, and passengers hail from the USA, England, Australia, and Singapore, with occasional Bulgarians among them.

"This historic train, with an interior created in 1930, is meticulously maintained. Our cuisine is exclusive, mainly French-Italian, with some Bulgarian and Turkish influences," Simeonov said, as reported by BTA.

In Ruse, the train was refilled with water, underwent a technical inspection, and completed a border check before heading to Varna with a Bulgarian locomotive driven by Vladimir Kaharkov, a fourth-generation railway worker. "This is my second time as an Orient Express driver. It's a responsibility and a pleasure," he remarked.

The assistant driver in Bulgaria is Desislava Kumanska. The train is expected to reach Istanbul today, rest for a day, and then return to Paris. As last year, the Orient Express is anticipated to pass through Ruse again in late August on its route from the French capital to Turkey.