Charles bids farewell to ‘expensive’ royal train

King Charles has approved decommissioning the royal train following decades of service.

- TONY JONES, LAURA ELSTON

The nine-carriage train, a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II and the late Duke of Edinburgh, will stop running ahead of a maintenance contract ending in early 2027, according to the annual royal accounts.

Reasons behind the move include the cost of storing and maintaining the train against its level of use, the significant investment needed to keep the train in use, and that two new helicopters were reliable alternatives for members of the royal family.

James Chalmers, keeper of the privypurse, described the move as an example of the royal household applying “fiscal discipline” in its drive to deliver “value for money”.

The King is said to have fond memories of the train, which features a carriage created for Charles in the mid-1980s, which he still uses now that he is King.

The Prince of Wales is said to be aware and supports the decommissioning decision.