It is an important part of railway heritage and the Brighton Belle could be running on the Brighton to London mainline by next summer.
The much-loved art deco Brighton Belle is being restored in a £2 million project.
The 5Bel Trust has also announced plans to open a museum once the train is fully restored. The preliminary plans envisage a museum built somewhere along the Southern region.
It is planned to run the rejuvenated five-car train, which was taken out of service in 1972, between Brighton and the capital at weekends, subject to a pathway being found by Network Rail.
It had been hoped to be up and running in time for the Olympics but trustee Neil Marshall said engineering work had proved more difficult than originally thought.
One of the most challenging aspects is updating the carriages for mainline running and they are being restored to Office of Rail Regulation guidelines.
The Brighton Belle started running in 1933 and was the only all-electric Pullman multiple unit train in the world.
This year marks 80 years since the train was built and 40 years since it was taken off the tracks.
With its chocolate and cream livery and sumptuous interior of brass fittings, handmade lampshades and armchairs it was a classic way to travel between Brighton and London, with regular commuters including Laurence Olivier.
Mr Marshall said the train is historically important: “When we first started the project we felt that Brighton had forgotten about the train.
“But when we displayed it last year it literally stopped traffic.
“People could not believe it was there. It is very much at the heart of Brighton’s history.
“The project is a huge engineering challenge. Only 15 carriages were ever made. Half were bought by the Orient Express for spares.
“The restoration of the trains only started in anger at the end of last year.”
The project has been funded mainly by private benefactors, with some donating monthly sums.
Mr Marshall said: “There are a variety of backers who believe in restoring heritage for the next generation.
“It is quite humbling.”
To donate to the 5Bel Trust visit www.brightonbelle.com
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