Officially launched in May 2026, the British Pullman, A Belmond Train, England has unveiled its most ambitious carriage in a generation: Ceceila – a private dining and events carriage imagined and designed by visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann together with Oscar-winning costume and production designed Catherine Martin.
It’s not just a carriage, it’s a new way to charter a train.
Sister to Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and composed of 10 restored 1920s and 1930s carriages operating out of London Victoria, the British Pullman has long defined the Golden Age of Travel. Celia pushes it into the age of bespoke cinema.
Who is Celia?
Every Luhrmann world needs a muse and this carriage has one. Celia is a imagined 1930s West End leading lady, gifted her own Pullman car in 1932in honour of her era-defining performance as Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in A Midsomer Night’s Dream. An emblem of playfulness and after-hours mischief her store weaves through every detail.
Stepping inside the carriage is like being transported into another world, and one in which guests are invited to become part of the story,” says Luhrman. “Celia, at its heart, is a magical mystery tour – a traveling dining experience for friends or an intimate celebration, filled with food, music, wine, laughter, and performance.”
In craft terms, Celia is pure Neo Folklore – the 2026 interior trend that mixes tradition with playful twist. Martin worked with marquetry artisans Dunn & Son, leading British bespoke furniture designer Bill Cleyndert, as well as Tony Sandles Bespoke Glass studio, embroiders Hand and Lock, and J.K Interiors.
An exclusive house for 12
Celia is not sold by the seat, the entire carriage is exclusively yours for 1 to 12 guests with prices starting from $15 000 (more than R250 000).
Inside, she seats up to 12 and features a dining area, lounge and bar as well as a private kitchen.
On the day, a private transfer collects you from your London hotel, you board at Victoria with priority, greeted by your personal butler and dedicated chef cooking in your own onboard kitchen.
As one of the most exciting additions to the British Pullman in a generation, general manager Adam Baylis-Waterlow says this experience “will not be able to be replicated anywhere else in the UK”.
What happens onboard
Food and beverage is at the heart of the Celia experience. As part of the fully bespoke nature, guests curate their own brunch, lunch and dinner menus from a selection of exquisite dishes, showcasing the finest British provenance – and includes a seasonal cocktail or champagne reception in your private onboard lounge, followed by expertly selected wine pairings to complement each lunch and dinner course.
Martin said: “Celia gives travellers the rare opportunity to inhabit the nostalgia of another era. The carriage offers the ultimate luxury — the time and space to truly connect with the journey itself – and it allows the mind to decelerate, opening the possibility of deeper connection not only to oneself and to others, but also to new cultures, new perspectives, and different ways of seeing the world. Onboard I imagine people eating, dancing and falling in love, taking photographs, celebrating life’s great moments and adventures — all within a world that offers a pause from the chaos of everyday life. Celia offers a moment of respite. A moment of celebration. A small, luminous bubble of light and love.”
