LEGO Reveal – The Orient Express Train 21344

Last month, we published our in-depth preview of the upcoming LEGO Ideas Orient Express 21344. Now, the new model has officially launched on the LEGO website, with even more images and release details.

Back in March 2021, LEGO Ideas member ‘LEt.sGO’ submitted their original MOC of the famous Orient Express train. After receiving a high portion of the fan vote and hitting the 10k milestone, the model was eventually selected for production after it won the top spot at the LEGO Ideas First 2022 Review Stage.

The Orient Express is an iconic and romanticised long-distance luxury train service, strongly associated with Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and the route from Istanbul to Paris. The original trains were a true symbol of sophistication and adventure, attracting guests from all echelons of high society. The long-anticipated LEGO reproduction of the famous train is certain to be one of the must-have sets to buy this Christmas.

What Is the Release Date for LEGO The Orient Express Train?

The new Orient Express LEGO set will be released on 1 December 2023.

How Much Is the LEGO 21344 Model?

IDEAS The Orient Express is priced at £259.99 – see it on the LEGO store.

What Is the Brick Count?

The Orient Express Train contains 2,540 pieces, making it an exciting train history challenge for AFOLs.

How Many LEGO Minifigures Are Included?

The set includes eight characters inspired by the golden age of luxury train travel, including wealthy guests, a duchess, a train attendant, a conductor, a waiter, and a cameraman.

The Orient Express Train – Features

The LEGO IDEAS Orient Express Train 21344 takes collectors back to the heyday of train travel when guests could enjoy opulent carriages with gourmet dining, plush sleeper cars and stylish furniture – all while being served cocktails by a smartly dressed waiter.

Externally, the train is instantly recognisable as an engineering triumph of French luxury, with a smart, deep blue colour scheme and a classic steam engine to tow the carriages. Particular attention has been paid to the exterior of each carriage to ensure it matches the real-world designs from yesteryear – serial numbers, branding and international cities are inscribed on the sides to ensure authenticity. Small details such as ‘voiture-restaurant’ on the dining car and ‘voiture-lits’ on the sleeper car greatly enhance the display potential of the model.

The two locomotive cars encompass a dining carriage and a sleeping carriage with private cabins. Both carriages have enough internal details to keep Hercule Poirot investigating for weeks. The dining car is decorated with resplendent wooden panels and traditional dining tables, and guests can even visit the bar, complete with a regional map and drinking glasses. The sleeper car’s first-class room contains a mirror effect above the bed, a backgammon board, exterior decorations displaying the Paris-Instanbul route, and more.

For anyone interested in the history of luxury train travel, this is a grand, epic set worthy of displaying at home. It would also make a thrilling Christmas present for any LEGO collectors.