Farewell to the royal train: Charles III retires Queen Elizabeth’s train

The British royal family gives up its historic train: it will be retired by 2027 for budgetary reasons

The royal train, a symbol of the British monarchy since the 19th century, will be officially decommissioned by 2027. The historic train, used for decades by Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family, will be sacrificed for economic reasons: the monarchy’s budget has recorded a substantial deficit and spending cuts are needed.

A necessary cut: £91 million to fill the deficit
The Sovereign Grant, the fund that supports the official activities of the royal family, has remained at £86.3 million (approximately £100 million), while expenses have increased significantly. Royal travel costs reached £4.7 million (€5.5 million), an increase of half a million in just one year. Staff costs rose to £29.9 million (almost €35 million). At least £91 million (€106 million) is needed to balance the books.

‘Not bound by the past’: the words of the Private Fund’s custodian
James Chalmers, custodian of the Private Fund, announced the decision as part of a more “disciplined and progressive” approach to resource management. “The royal train has been a beloved part of national life for decades, but we must not remain anchored to tradition,” he explained. With the support of King Charles III, the decommissioning process will begin in 2025 and end in 2027, when the maintenance contract expires.

From trains to helicopters: the face of royal travel is changing
After the train is retired, the Windsors will be able to count on two new helicopters, which are more economical and versatile for official travel. In the meantime, the train could be used for other commemorative trips within the United Kingdom before finding a new home: the carriages could be displayed in museums or historic sites.

A royal history that starts with Victoria and ends with Charles
The current train consists of nine carriages, including the king’s salon with a bedroom, private bathroom and a 12-seat dining car. It entered service in 1977 for Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee and is pulled by two locomotives — the “Royal Sovereign” and the “Queen’s Messenger” — which use biofuels derived from plant waste.

One of the carriages was specially designed for the then Prince Charles in the 1980s and is still in use today. But the tradition dates back much further: in 1842, Queen Victoria was the first British monarch to travel by train, and in 1869 she had private carriages built, luxuriously decorated with 23-carat gold and blue silk. Today, those carriages are preserved at the National Railway Museum in York.

High costs, secret journeys and special maintenance
The royal train is known for its high operating costs: a journey in 2017 from London to Cwmbran cost over £130 per mile, compared to £1.30 for a standard ticket. The train is stored and maintained in a secure area in Wolverton. The routes and identities of passengers are always kept confidential, in accordance with a security protocol dating back to the two world wars.

With this decommissioning, the British monarchy is turning a new page, leaving behind one of the most fascinating symbols of its logistical history.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)