Linking up Europe and the Near East.

One of the most important of European passenger trains—the Simplon-Orient Express—will shortly serve to forge a new railway link between Europe and the Near East. At present the Simplon-Orient Express from Paris has its eastern terminal at Stamboul, Constantinople. Now, however, a train ferry is to be constructed between this terminal and Haidar Pasha, the western terminal of the Baghdad Railway, on the opposite side of the Bosphorus. By means of this ferry, carriages off the Simplon-Orient Express will be transported across the Bosphorus to Haidar Pasha, and there coupled on to a new train, to be known as the “Trans-Taurus Express,” operating between Haidar Pasha, Aleppo, Cairo and Baghdad.

The new “Trans-Taurus Express” will operate three times weekly in each direction. It will be composed of luxurious day, sleeper and restaurant cars of the International Sleeping Car Company. The new service will give much quicker connection between London, Paris and the Near East, and the running of the “Trans-Taurus Express” in connection with the new Bosphorus train ferry will mark the opening of a new era in railway travel.

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