[1] On 19 September 1993, the Eastern and Oriental Express made its inaugural journey between Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and Bangkok, stopping at Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth, and Kanchanaburi, taking 4 days (3 nights).

All 31 carriages were later brought by visionary businessman James B. Sherwood, the founder of Orient-Express Hotels, which in 2014 changed its name to Belmond Limited.

An extensive internal rebuild and fit-out plus exterior painting and badging was undertaken by the new owners at their (then) newly constructed maintenance depot on KTMB land in Singapore's Keppel Road rail yards (later at Plentong railway station in Johor, Malaysia).

The design of the remodelling was by Gérard Gallet, the man behind much of the design and refurbishment of other Belmond products such as the Belmond British Pullman and the Venice-Simplon Orient Express.The train consists following carriages, from which only a maximum of 21 are operated at once: The train is fully air-conditioned, and each compartment has an en-suite bathroom with shower and toilets.

The layout of many carriages and the comfort classes were also used for the designing of the Great South Pacific Express (now to be used as Belmond Andean Explorer).