The need to be ‘fiscally disciplined’ is the reasoning behind The King’s decision to decommission the Royal Train according to Buckingham Palace – a mode of transport that dates back to Queen Victoria.
In a cost cutting exercise, His Majesty plans to have the Royal Train out of service by 2027.
In a briefing, Buckingham Palace revealed the state of the royal finances, and announced plans on how to “deliver value for money”
James Chalmers is Keeper of the Privy Purse – responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household.
In a statement, he said: “The royal train, of course, has been part of national life for many decades, loved and cared for by all those involved.
“But in moving forward, we must not be bound by the past. Just as so many parts of the royal household’s work have been modernised and adapted to reflect the world of today, so too, the time has come to bid the fondest of farewells, as we seek to be disciplined and forward in our allocation of funding.
“With His Majesty’s support, it has therefore been decided that the process to decommission the royal train will commence next year.”
Two helicopters will continue to fly The King and Queen to engagements in place of the nine-carriage train.
A recent journey on the Royal Train Gloucestershire to Staffordshire and then London, over two days in February, cost more than £44,000.
