Nord Express

Introduced in 1896 by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, which operated sleeping-cars, dining cars and trains deluxe all over Europe, including the Orient Express, it connected Paris and Saint Petersburg.

In 1874, the Belgian civil engineer and railway entrepreneur Georges Nagelmackers founded the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (lit.

The train left Paris and Ostend (with connection from London) and travelled via Brussels, Cologne, Hanover, Berlin, Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) and Dvinsk (now Daugavpils) to Saint Petersburg.

Passengers to and from Russia had to change once in East Prussia at the German/Russian border because Russian railway tracks are of a wider gauge than those in Western Europe.

After World War II the "Iron Curtain" divided Europe, and the initially luxury and since 1951 ordinary night train's route was diverted further from Paris via Hamburg and Copenhagen to Stockholm and Oslo.

The Nord Express passing the French station of Noyon at the beginning of the 20th century.
Logo of the CIWL .
Route of Nord Express before WW1. Connections to London, Sud Express and Transsiberian Express are in black.
Route of the Nord Express and its through coaches and connections between 1925 and 1939.
The Nord Express in Stockholm Central Station in the 1940's .