Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits

Common card · No. 340467

Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL; French pronunciation: [kɔ̃paɲi ɛ̃tɛʁnɑsjɔnal de vaɡɔ̃ li]; lit. 'International Sleeping-Car Company') is a Belgian-founded French company known for providing and operating luxury trains with sleepers and dining cars during the late 19th and the 20th centuries, most notably the Orient Express. Founded by Georges Nagelmackers in 1872, CIWL developed an international network of trains beginning in Europe, and later expanding to Asia and Africa. The trains provided luxury and comfort at a time when travelling was still rough and dangerous. The Armistice with Germany was signed in a CIWL train carriage, the Compiègne Wagon, on November 11, 1918.

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