For the past year, we’ve been dreaming of traveling. And I’m not talking about just some hotel in a coastal party town or even a quiet cabin in the woods. I’m talking Around the World in 80 Days type traveling. But maybe not so fast, we have been holed up for a year. Redefining what it means to travel by rails, a designer, known for his superyachts built for the likes of Steve Jobs and his close relationship with upscale fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Thierry Gaugain conceptualized a smart train for the future luxury traveler called G Train.
A total of fourteen cars will comprise G Train, housing the owner’s large suite in the front most cars, followed by 18 guest rooms, cars for the gym and spa, a dining car, and finally recreation spaces for the train’s guests to enjoy everything from live concert events to small art exhibitions. Following his time spent designing superyachts for those who can write the checks for them, Gaugain turned to his childhood fascination with trains to produce a sort of passion project eligible for production, once more for the lucky owner who can afford it. Tapping into a form of luxury traveling that does more than simply cart passengers from point A to their destination, Gaugain conceived the G Train to look and feel like a luxe experience straight out of the future.
Gaugain envisions luxury through the changing of light, so the train’s entire exterior and interior glass facades feature changing light shows throughout the day to enhance guests’ travel experiences. Poured over in an all-glass exterior, the G Train’s shiny finish morphs from jet-black to transparent and then to a shimmering golden hue with the changing of the sky. The smart glass not only transforms the G Train’s exterior but projects seven varied interior sights as well. When traveling during cold, winter blizzards, the G Train’s interior glass walls morph into summer meadows filled with bright sunlight and fluttering butterflies. Alternatively, cozy winter forest scenes can cool down those languorous summer travel days. Noting this transformative perk, Gaugain says, “The train is essentially a stage that the owner can configure in many ways.”
Designer: Thierry GAUGAIN
Alike and dissimilar to the experience of traveling on a luxury yacht, the G Train measures a lengthy 1,300 feet and boasts a quality experience over a speedy trip.
Aware of the way trains are used by the general public, Gaugain merges a fast track with a luxe experience, citing,
“We tend to think about rail transportation only in terms of speed, moving lots of people from point A to point B in record time, but this 14-car train would belong to a single owner. It’s an alternative, very leisurely way to see the world, beyond the yacht and jet.”
