7 hours ago
Last Updated:July 01, 2025, 21:27 IST
The British royal family will retire its historic royal train by 2027 due to high costs, as part of King Charles III's effort to reduce royal spending.
Buckingham Palace will retire the historic royal train by 2027 due to high costs. (Image Credit: Reuters)
The British royal family will officially retire its historic royal train by 2027, Buckingham Palace announced, citing steep operating costs and a “thorough review into its use and value for money." The move comes as part of a broader effort to rein in royal spending under King Charles III’s reign.
The train- first introduced during Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 and tracing its origins back to Queen Victoria’s 1842 rail journey- has long been a symbol of regal travel. But according to the Royal Household’s annual financial report, the train has become increasingly expensive to maintain. A single journey to Staffordshire by King Charles earlier this year cost British taxpayers over £44,000 ($61,800) while other trips routinely rack up tens of thousands of pounds. Storage alone at a secure Wolverton depot adds to the cost.
The Sovereign Grant, the taxpayer-funded annual allowance for royal duties, remained fixed at £86.3 million ($118.5 million) for the third year in a row. Of this, £34.5 million is allocated toward Buckingham Palace renovations while £51.8 million supports core operations—including staff, travel, and official engagements.
The monarchy will increasingly rely on helicopters, which cost an average of £3,370 ($4,600) per trip. Royal family members undertook more than 1,900 engagements last year, according to the report and took over 140 helicopter flights.
The Palace has also committed to transitioning to an “almost fully electric" vehicle fleet and is expanding its use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), part of the royal household’s broader modernization push. The King’s two Bentleys are reportedly being retrofitted to run on biofuel.
Buckingham Palace defended the monarchy’s value saying, “Soft power is hard to measure, but its value is firmly understood at home and abroad as the Royal Family continues in their service."
Location :United Kingdom (UK)
First Published:News world Steam No More: King Charles To Retire Royal Train After 180 Years. Here’s Why
