Work begins to remove landmark carriages from Sunderland seafront as Pullman Lodge demolition project continues

Work has begun to remove the landmark Pullman Lodge carriages from their seafront home.
Work at the Pullman Lodge this morningWork at the Pullman Lodge this morning
Work at the Pullman Lodge this morning

Workers for Sunderland City Council have begun removing the iconic carriages from the former hotel and restaurant site in Seaburn this morning.

The carriages, Padua, Rosalind and Sapphire, date back as far as 1912 and once carried passengers on the world-famous Orient Express. They have been a feature of Sunderland's seafront for more than 30 years.The business operating from the Pullman Lodge, which was owned by the council, went into liquidation last year and the land and surrounding area is earmarked by developers Siglion for a leisure space, cafes and restaurants, alongside new apartments and houses.

Work at the Pullman Lodge this morningWork at the Pullman Lodge this morning
Work at the Pullman Lodge this morning
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While the main building will be demolished, the historic carriages are being kept intact - and will be transported to Kent, after the council was unable to find anyone in the region interested in taking them on.

Councillor Mel Speding, who serves as cabinet secretary on Sunderland City Council, previously confirmed the authority had received "an offer for restoration of the carriages as a high-quality dining train" in Kent.“The carriages are understood by experts to be similar to ones drawn by famous trains such as the Golden Arrow night ferry express which once ran through Kent, between London and Dover. Therefore they have a strong link to the south east region’s railway heritage," he said in a statement issued before the carriage removal work began.