ORIENT EXPRESS (continued)

By 1962, the Orient Express and Arlberg Orient Express had stopped running, leaving only the Simplon Orient Express. This was replaced in 1962 by a slower service called the Direct Orient Express, which ran daily coaches from Paris to Belgrade, and twice weekly services from Paris to Istanbul and Athens.

In 1971, the Wagons-Lits company stopped running carriages itself and making revenues from a ticket supplement. Instead, it sold or leased all its carriages to the various national railway companies, but continued to provide train staff.

1976 saw the end of the Paris-Athens direct service, and in 1977, the Direct Orient Express was withdrawn completely, The last Paris-Istanbul service ran on May 19th of that year.

A great name from a great era had ceased to exist, air speed had taken over rail Luxury.

Sources :
Luxury Trains by George Behrend
Orient-Express by Werner Solch