Steve Jobs’ Yacht designer unveils $350 million ‘Palace on Rails’ concept

French designer Thierry Gaugain, who had earlier helped in creating Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs’ 260-foot yacht Venus, has now unveiled his plans to redefine private transportation. He has proposed the ‘G-Train’ which is going to be the world’s first-ever private luxury train. The 1,300 feet “palace on rails” will comprise 14 cars made of technologically advanced glass that can switch from opaque to complete transparency. The smart glass would allow the owner to bring natural lighting and scenery into the train. The project is estimated to cost about $350 million and will take at least two and a half years to build. The train would also have 18 suites for overnight passengers. It will run at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour and will be set to travel on railways across Europe and America. The lavish features include an art gallery and garden. The wings of the train can be folded to create alfresco terraces for parties and other social events. This is the first time that Gaugain has ventured into conceptualising trains. He said the project was an old dream and added that the train was envisioned for a “unique owner”, instead of public transportation or passenger trains. He described the luxury ride as a “stage”, where people could “change the light, the season or the pace in order to change your relationship to time". Gaugain stated that he and his team had worked for years to ensure the sustainability of the project. A number of experts, including Swiss train builder Stadler, glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain and security company Marine Guard were involved in the project.