Mivan, the Antrim construction company, has won a £2.5 million (€3.2m) contract to fit out a new luxury sleeper train that the parent company of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express plans to launch in Ireland this August.
The Belmond hotel company and luxury travel operator will unveil the Belmond Grand Hibernian in August offering two-, four-, and six-night journeys, for up to 40 passengers, from Dublin throughout Ireland.
The Bermuda-headquartered company bought the 10 carriages and locomotive for the Grand Hibernian, which will be Belmond's 7th luxury train and join other famous trains such as the Royal Scotsman, from Irish Rail last year.
Mivan, which is owned by Brian McConville, who also owns Newry headquartered MJM Group, won the contract to transform the carriages into 20 en-suite cabins, two dining cars and an observation car.
It is estimated that it will take a team of 40 craftspeople from Mivan to get the train ready to meet Belmond’s “exacting standards”.
According to Mr McConville the Hibernian contract was a significant step for the Antrim company and he said the brand is entering a “new period of rejuvenation”.
“Mivan has embarked on an aggressive growth and development plan. In 2014/15 Mivan completed £7 million worth of cruise ship outfitting orders and other market sectors also performed strongly,” he said.
