Celia on the British Pullman: Baz Luhrmann's Luxury Train Carriage in the UK

Luxury train travel has always been about stepping into another era. With Celia, the newest addition to the British Pullman, that idea has been taken several steps further.

Launched in 2026, Celia is not simply a restored railway carriage. It is an entirely immersive private experience created by acclaimed filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and Oscar-winning designer Catherine Martin.

Part dining room, part cocktail lounge, part theatrical stage set, the carriage allows you to charter a private space aboard one of Britain's most celebrated luxury trains. You can travel through the English countryside inside a world inspired by theatre, storytelling, and 1930s glamour.

Available exclusively for private hire, Celia accommodates up to 12 guests and offers one of the most unique luxury travel experiences currently available in the UK.

What is Celia on the British Pullman?

Celia is a private dining and events carriage aboard the British Pullman, A Belmond Train.

The British Pullman is one of Britain's most famous luxury trains and the sister train to the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Operating from London Victoria Station between February and December, it consists of beautifully restored Pullman carriages dating from the 1920s and 1930s.

Celia became the newest addition to the train in May 2026 following a complete transformation led by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin.

Unlike the train's standard shared dining experiences, Celia can only be booked exclusively. When you reserve the carriage, the entire space becomes yours and your group's private venue for the journey.

The carriage accommodates up to 12 guests and can be used for celebrations, private dining, corporate entertaining, special occasions, or bespoke luxury experiences.

The story behind Celia's design

What makes Celia different from almost every other luxury railway carriage is that it comes with its own fictional backstory.

Luhrmann and Martin created the character of Celia, an imagined West End star of the 1930s. According to the story, she was gifted her own Pullman carriage in 1932 after delivering a career-defining performance as Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in Shakespeare's ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’.

That fictional narrative influences every part of the design.

Instead of recreating a historic railway carriage exactly as it may have appeared in the 1930s, the designers built an imaginative world around Celia's fictional life.

The result feels less like stepping onto a train and more like stepping inside a movie set.

Inside the carriage: What Celia looks like

Throughout the carriage, you'll find references to Shakespeare, fairytale imagery, English landscapes, and classic theatre design. Floral motifs, embroidered details, oak marquetry, and intricate handcrafted finishes appear across almost every surface.

The colour palette draws inspiration from historic London theatres, combining deep greens, burgundy tones, warm browns, and soft pinks.

Among the standout design features are:

• Handcrafted marquetry panels depicting English countryside scenes
• Parquet flooring throughout the lounge areas
• Velvet upholstery and heavy theatre-style curtains
• Backlit glass ceilings that create a warm glow throughout the carriage
• Decorative pansy motifs inspired by ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’
• Naval-style windows framing the passing countryside
• A bespoke fragrance personally selected by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin

Even the crockery, glassware, and table settings have been individually chosen to create the feeling that you're dining inside someone's carefully curated private collection.

Belmond is the luxury hospitality company behind iconic trains, hotels, river cruises, and safari lodges around the world, including the British Pullman and the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The company describes the experience as a "theatrical jewel box," and that description is remarkably accurate.

What happens during a journey on Celia?

One of the most appealing aspects of Celia is its flexibility. Instead of following a fixed format, the carriage can be adapted around the experience you want to create.

During the day, it can operate as an elegant private dining room with a curated menu and wine pairings. Later, the same space can become a cocktail lounge, a performance venue, or even a small dance floor for celebrations.

Belmond positions Celia as a space for:

• Private lunches
• Celebration dinners
• Corporate entertainment
• Cocktail receptions
• Family gatherings
• Milestone birthdays
• Intimate performances and events

The experience is designed to evolve throughout the journey instead of remaining a traditional seated meal from start to finish.

What is included in the £15,000 hire price?

Exclusive hire of Celia starts from £15,000. While that headline figure immediately catches attention, the package includes considerably more than simply access to the carriage itself.

Included within the experience are:

• Exclusive use of the carriage
• A dedicated experience curator
• Private luxury transfers within Greater London
• A private chef
• Personal butler service
• Steward service throughout the journey
• Welcome drinks
• Expert wine pairings
• A bespoke itinerary tailored to your group

As with most luxury experiences, the final cost can vary depending on customisation and additional requests, but the starting price covers a highly personalised experience from beginning to end.

The British Pullman experience beyond Celia

If you've never encountered the British Pullman before, it is worth understanding why this launch has attracted so much attention.

The train has become one of the UK's most celebrated luxury travel experiences, regularly appearing in international luxury travel rankings and readers' choice awards. Operating from London Victoria, the train runs scenic day journeys through some of England's most picturesque landscapes.

Routes often travel through destinations such as:

• Bath
• Oxford
• The Cotswolds
• Sissinghurst Castle
• Various countryside destinations across southern England

British Pullman journeys focus on exceptional dining, heritage interiors, and the experience of slow travel through the countryside. Celia adds a new layer to that experience by introducing a fully private and highly theatrical environment.

Who are Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin?

For anyone familiar with Baz Luhrmann's work, Celia feels like a natural extension of his creative style.

The director is known for visually extravagant productions such as ‘Moulin Rouge!’, ‘Romeo + Juliet’, ‘The Great Gatsby’, and ‘Elvis’. His films frequently blend historical influences with contemporary energy while embracing rich colour palettes, elaborate design, and immersive storytelling.

Catherine Martin, his long-time creative collaborator and wife, is one of the most celebrated production and costume designers in cinema. She has won multiple Academy Awards for her work across film and theatre.

Together, they approached Celia not as a restoration project but as a storytelling project. The result is effectively a moving film set where guests become part of the narrative.

Quick information at a glance

Carriage: Celia
Train: British Pullman, A Belmond Train
Capacity: Up to 12 guests
Booking Type: Exclusive private hire only
Price: From £15,000
Departure Station: London Victoria Station
Operating Season: February to December
Booking: Click Via Belmond
Phone: +44 (0)845 077 2222

Bookings are made directly through Belmond. Because the carriage is available only for exclusive hire and accommodates a maximum of 12 guests, availability is expected to be limited, particularly during peak travel periods.

Whether you're planning a milestone birthday, a private event, a corporate gathering, or simply looking for one of the most unusual luxury experiences in Britain, Celia offers something genuinely different.

There are luxury restaurants, luxury hotels, and luxury trains. There are very few places where all three come together inside a moving theatrical set designed by Baz Luhrmann. That is what makes Celia one of the most intriguing new travel experiences in the UK right now.