Saw a short note in a business news summary this morning that GrandLuxe (aka American Orient Express) has closed up shop. The web page for the company is still operational, however, and I have not seen anything in the major newspapers I read online each morning. Can anyone shed any light on this? I would like to know, if it’s true, where that great equipment is going to go. Also, the web site lists a trip in progress, so I wonder what’s happened to those folks?
Its called Grand Luxe and is a subsidiary of Colorado Railcar.
Grand luxe stopped on August 28 and all employees were send home.
Other customers were notified by Email and letter that service has been suspended.
.
It’s always a shame when anything like this happens, whether you are a railfan or not. I’ll leave it at that.
I saw a similar short note in the Washington Post’s business section this morning, September 4. I am not surprised that this operation had to shut down considering that the cost of providing the service is ever increasing, and the public is not spending as much due the concerns over the present shape of the U.S. economy. People simply aren’t traveling that much, and when they do travel they take shorter trips both in time and distance.
[
] What he said.[yeah]
Luxe rail line shuts, dealing blow to Amtrak A company that offered
luxurious rail tours aboard refurbished vintage cars and was a major charter
customer of Amtrak has shut down, the Associated Press reports.
GrandLuxe Rail Journeys Inc. ceased operations last week. “We are
financially unable to continue operations,” the company said in an Aug. 26 note
to
people booked for upcoming tours. It said it did not know whether people would
get their money back.
It is unclear what caused the move. Phone calls Wednesday to GrandLuxe
headquarters in Evergreen, Colo., were greeted by a message saying the mailbox
was
full.
Bob Whitley, president of the U.S. Tour Operators Association, said other
luxury-tourism companies do not appear to be suffering, despite a soft tourism
market overall. “The only area doing really well is the luxury side,” he
said. “It’s less affected by the economy and the weak dollar.” GrandLuxe was
not
an association member.
For Amtrak, the closure of GrandLuxe, known as American Orient Express
before it came under new ownership in 2006, means the loss of several million
dollars in annual revenue, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said.
GrandLuxe relied on Amtrak to pull its train on various scenic routes. The
national passenger railroad provided locomotives and engine crews for the
trips, which lasted seven to 10 days and cost upward of $4,000. Amtrak did not
provide onboard staff or marketing for those tours, Mr. Black said.
Last year, the companies attempted a closer partnership, announcing that
GrandLuxe cars – including spacious sleepers, dining rooms and lounge areas –
would be attached to certain regularly scheduled Amtrak trains during the
holiday season. The idea was to offer a shorter, less expensive option with the
same five-course meals and other luxury amenities as GrandLuxe’s usual
tours. Amtrak helped ma