Italy’s Arsenale Group—owners of numerous luxury trains, including La Dolce Vita Orient Express, as well as hospitality brands such as Orient Express and Soho House—announced that it has acquired U.K.-based Golden Eagle Luxury Trains.
“This acquisition establishes Arsenale Group as a global leader in luxury rail travel, accelerating expansion across Europe and Asia, and enriching its portfolio with an even broader range of unforgettable journeys inspired by innovation, excellence, and sustainable tourism,” the company said on a LinkedIn post sharing the news.
Golden Eagle Luxury Trains operates five private rail services:
- The Golden Eagle, taking guests through Central Asia via the Silk Road
- The Golden Eagle Danube Express, which travels across the entirety of Europe
- The Deccan Odyssey, located in India
- The Golden Eagle Silk Road Express, a fully en-suite train
- The Vietnam Express, touted as “Vietnam’s first luxury train”
Beyond La Dolce Vita Orient Express and, now, Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, Arsenale also owns Dream of the Desert, an upcoming luxury train project in Saudi Arabia; The Samarkand Express in Uzbekistan; Guardian of the Nile, taking guests through Egypt’s Valley of the Kings; and another upcoming project in the United Arab Emirates that has not yet been named.
The official announcement, according to Italy’s Il Sole 24 Ore, came during the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Global Summit, taking place this week in Rome. Paolo Barletta, the company’s CEO (and majority owner of Arsenale), said the group will invest approximately €15 million in modernizing Golden Eagle’s fleet over the next five years.
