France’s national trains have been decked out to look like the Palace of Versailles

Forget health insurance ads... you can while away the hours by staring at rich pieces of art on this rail line
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Liz Connor19 May 2016

Sconces, bookcases and gilt fountains. Not exactly the type of thing you’d expect to see on your morning commute, but for train passengers travelling on the RER C line that runs between Paris and Versaille, it’s about to become an everyday sight.

The SNCF, France’s national rail network, has upgraded its typically banal and unglamorous train car interiors by decking out the walls and ceilings with a stunning recreation of the Palace of Versailles’ famous Hall of Mirrors.

The new decorations are part of an ongoing project called Art in Transit, that has funded the redecoration of various trains within France with impressionist art and stained glass from Paris’ Musee d’Orsay, a train station turned art museum in the city.

The French train company said in a press release that its latest design - which features scenes of fountains, flowers, and furnishings - are evocative of the “richness” of the Palace.

It said: “The scenic designs are adapted to the configuration of the train and are generally lightened to work with the light, colorful new train design.”

The minimalist cars have been decorated on the inside with a plastic film ( Maxime Huriez)
Maxime Huriez

Sadly, the palace-inspired trains are not permanent, so if you want to catch them before they go, you’ll want to book a Eurostar to Paris as soon as possible.

But if you can’t make it across the English Channel, here’s hoping Sadiq Khan's next move as London Mayor will be bringing the interiors of Buckingham Palace to the Northern Line.

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