In a letter to clients, Tom Rader, chairman of GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, said the company will “cease operations with the return of the train to Tacoma on Thursday morning, August 28, 2008.”
The letter went on to state that the Evergreen, Colo.-based company is financially unable to continue operations.
“We know this raises many questions including, ‘Will I get my money back,’” the letter stated. “At this time, we just do not have many answers to your questions.”
The company advised clients that paid by credit card to contact their credit card company about obtaining a refund.
“There’s not much else I can add right now,” Rader told Travel Weekly.
An agent who works with GrandLuxe told Travel Weekly, "Those are quite expensive trips, so the public will be suffering major losses here."
For example, the 10-day National Parks of the West journey was priced at $5,470 per person.
GrandLuxe Rail Journeys operated two- to 10-day, luxury, private, train tour excursions across the U.S. Southwest, West, Rockies and South; along the East Coast; and in Mexico. Passengers rode in private cabins aboard a 21-car train with vintage appointments. The service included butlers, wait staff, off-train excursions with tour guides and upscale dining in the train’s dining car.
GrandLuxe changed its name from American Orient Express in 2006 when it was acquired by Colorado Rail Car Manufacturing, a company that specializes in constructing luxury rail cars such as the Ultra Dome cars used on Princess Cruises' Midnight Sun Express in Alaska.