Mon, 30 Jun 2025

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 Royal train to be cut in Palace cost-saving measure

The announcement has come alongside the annual publication of royal finances.
By 2027, the royal train will be out of service due to cost-saving measures announced by Buckingham Palace. The historic rolling stock has been used since Queen Victoria's reign but was deemed too expensive to maintain. A recent journey on the royal train from Gloucestershire to Staffordshire and then London over two days in February cost more than £44,000. This is part of a total travel bill for 2024-25 that stands at £4.7 million. The Royal Family will continue to use regular train services and have taken 141 helicopter trips last year, costing £475,000. The Keeper of the Privy Purse said the decision to stop the royal train was made to ensure value for money, but it would be a "fond farewell" to the historic service. The royal train will be taken on tour around the UK before being removed from service and potentially put on public display. The idea of a royal train goes back to Queen Victoria commissioning special coaches in 1869. Maintenance and storage costs for the train have been questioned, given its limited use. The total cost of royal travel has risen by £500,000 over the previous year. The Sovereign Grant remains at £86.3m for 2024-25 but will rise to £132.1m in 2025-26 as part of a two-year funding package for renovations at Buckingham Palace. This increased level of funding comes from the Treasury and is based on a percentage of the profits of the Crown Estate. The Royal Family carried out over 1,900 engagements last year with almost 94,000 guests attending events at royal residences. The Duchy of Cornwall's financial report showed a profit of £22.9m but this was slightly down from the previous year. There has been criticism of the high levels of royal income, particularly in light of debates about cutting welfare for people with disabilities.
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