The company has called in Christies to auction off the Wagons-Lits collection of posters, crockery and glasses in a sale expected to raise between €3m and €4m.

The biggest items in the sale, which is likely to take place in Paris or London later this year, will be seven remaining coaches from the Wagons-Lits fleet, which have been leased to SNCF’s charter train subsidiary Trains Expo for the last 18 months. Indeed, two of the company’s former Orient Express vehicles are reportedly scheduled to form part of the Littéra-tour exhibition train being organised by the Ministry of Culture, which will be roaming the French network between May 26 and June 7.