In a revolutionary decision, the U.K.’s King Charles III is cutting royal excess by axing the historic royal train after 156 years of service.
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The British monarchy’s private train, first used by Queen Victoria in 1869, will be permanently sidelined by 2027 as part of the King’s modernization and cost-cutting efforts.
This decision comes as taxpayers foot an increasing bill for royal expenses while many Britons struggle financially.
Buckingham Palace announced the decommissioning plan as part of Charles’s ongoing efforts to streamline the monarchy and reduce expenses.
The royal train, a symbol of British heritage, has become increasingly impractical to maintain, with recent financial reports showing it was used only twice in the past year while continuing to drain royal coffers.
James Chalmers, the palace official managing the King’s finances, explained the reasoning behind the decision: “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.”
The financial burden of maintaining the nine-carriage train has become difficult to justify.
A single royal train journey recently cost British taxpayers over £44,000 ($59,000), highlighting the extravagance of maintaining this outdated mode of royal transportation.
The royal household will now rely more on commercial train services and newly purchased fuel-efficient helicopters for official travel.
“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,” Chalmers said further.
The decision comes amid increasing scrutiny of royal finances.
The total cost of royal travel reached £4.7 million ($6.3 million) last year, a £500,000 increase from the previous year.
The Sovereign Grant, which funds the monarchy, remains at £86.3 million annually, with an additional £45.8 million allocated for Buckingham Palace renovations, bringing the total to £132.1 million for 2025-26.
Despite claims of fiscal responsibility, the royal family’s spending continues to grow while British citizens face economic hardships.
The King and Queen’s trip to Australia and Samoa alone cost taxpayers £400,000, raising questions about priorities during times of economic uncertainty for average Britons.
Before its retirement, the royal train will embark on a farewell tour around the United Kingdom and may eventually be displayed for public viewing, preserving this piece of British heritage while ending its costly operational expenses.
Defenders of the monarchy point to the 1,900 public appearances and nearly 94,000 guests hosted at royal events last year as evidence of the institution’s value.
However, critics, including the anti-monarchy group Republic, describe royal funding as a “scandalous abuse of public money,” especially considering security costs aren’t included in published figures.
While King Charles attempts to modernize the monarchy through cost-cutting measures like retiring the royal train, questions remain about whether these changes go far enough to justify the institution’s growing expense to British taxpayers during challenging economic times.
Royal train will end 156 years of service as King Charles III seeks to economizehttps://t.co/aaZv47oFwk pic.twitter.com/adjc7Er5EE
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 2, 2025
