Train travel has traditionally had an aura of luxury and exclusivity preserved by specialist – and decidedly retro – services such as the Orient-Express, South Africa’s Blue Train and The Royal Scotsman. But the day-to-day reality of modern train travel is very different and the railway companies have struggled to attract the discerning leisure or business traveller.

Now however, the spread of high-speed rail and an increasing focus by the railway companies on offering a high-quality service in first class is starting to change the image and the reality of train travel.