Latest news with #TheRoyalTrain
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Royal train to end 156 years of service as King Charles III seeks to economize
LONDON — EMBARGOED UNTIL 2100 GMT JUNE 30, 2025. Royal train to end 156 years of service as King Charles III seeks to economize The Royal Train will soon leave the station for the last time. King Charles III has accepted it's time to decommission the train, whose history dates back to Queen Victoria, because it costs too much to operate and would have needed a significant upgrade for more advanced rail systems, Buckingham Palace said Monday. 'In moving forwards we must not be bound by the past,'' said James Chalmers, the palace official in charge of the king's financial affairs. 'Just as so many parts of the royal household's work have modernized 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-looking in our allocation of funding.'' The train, actually a suite of nine railcars that can be hitched to commercial locomotives, will be decommissioned sometime before the current maintenance contract expires in 2027. That will bring to an end a tradition that dates back to 1869, when Queen Victoria commissioned a pair of special coaches to accommodate her travels. The decision was announced during the palace's annual briefing for reporters on the royal finances. The royal family will for the fourth consecutive year receive public funding of 86.3 million pounds , including 34.5 million pounds to fund the remodeling of Buckingham Palace, in the 12 months through March 2026. This money comes from a mechanism known as the Sovereign Grant, which sets aside 12% of the net income from the Crown Estate to fund the official duties of the king and other members of the royal family. The Crown Estate is a portfolio of properties that are owned by the monarch during his reign. The properties are professionally managed and the king cannot dispose of the assets. The Crown Estate is one of the many relics of Britain's feudal past. King George III, who ruled during the American Revolution, surrendered management of the crown lands to Parliament in 1760 in return for a fixed payment from the Treasury. The royal finances remain a topic of public debate, with Charles pledging to slim down the monarchy and cut costs as he seeks to ensure the institution's survival. Buckingham Palace was quick to point out that while the Sovereign Grant has been unchanged for the past four years, inflation has eroded its value. If the grant had increased in line with inflation, it would have been about 106 million pounds this year, the palace said. The basic grant was supplemented with 21.5 million pounds of income generated by properties outside the Crown Estate. This income increased by 1.7 million pounds, driven by a record year for visitors to Buckingham Palace and special tours of the newly renovated East Wing. Craig Prescott, a constitutional law expert at Royal Holloway, University of London who focuses on the political role of the monarchy, said funding for the royals is relatively small when compared to the overall cost of the British state and it provides tangible benefits for the country. 'It's something that puts Britain on the world stage in a way that few other things do,'' he said, noting that Queen Elizabeth II's funeral was the largest gathering of world leaders in history and the coronation was broadcast around the world. 'It's one of those things that people think about when they think about Britain.'' Over the past year, Charles traveled to Australia and attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa — his first as the organization's head. The royals also took center stage at the 80th anniversaries of D-Day and V-E Day, which marked the end of World War II in Europe, and welcomed the leaders of Japan and Qatar as they made state visits to the U.K. Overall, the royals made 1,900 public appearances in the U.K. and overseas. Some 93,000 guests attended 828 events at the royal palaces. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Yahoo
Tickets selling fast as unique steam train day-trip sets off from Southend this year
TICKETS are selling fast ahead of a unique steam train day-trip setting off from Southend to Wales this year. Steam Dreams Rail Co are set to take passengers from Shoebury, Southend Central and Leigh all the way to the Welsh capital - Cardiff. A vintage diesel will stop at the stations across the c2c line in Essex to pick up passengers before skirting London, where the steam locomotive joins for the rest of the journey. The train will steam out through the suburbs along the Thames Valley, following the Great Western Main Line, pass through pretty Bradford-upon-Avon and Bath on its way to the Severn Tunnel. From there, it will emerge to its final destination in Cardiff. It will depart from the first stop in Shoebury at 6.45am, finally arriving at Cardiff at 1.45pm before leaving the Welsh capital at 5pm and arriving back at 11pm. A Steam Dreams spokesman says: "This unique tour offers a fascinating adventure across country through time as we traverse England by steam, travelling past the country's rich tapestry of rolling scenery and feats of railway engineering, to visit the Welsh capital. "Spread between an ancient fort and an ultramodern waterfront, compact Cardiff provides an vibrant mix of old and new." Steam Dreams' website shows there is "limited availability" for the trip on Wednesday, April 16, as tickets are selling fast. Passengers will travel in vintage train carriages such as Pullman coaches, and can choose between two classes with packages which include the Steam Dreams signature Champagne cocktail and a multi-course breakfast. With prices ranging from £220 to £425 depending on the class, customers can book their tickets at The scheduled locomotive is the 70000 Britannia, however, it cannot be guaranteed and may be substituted for a different engine. In one of her most important roles, Britannia hauled The Royal Train from Preston to Wakefield in January 2012. For many years Britannia's cab roof was painted white to commemorate her pulling the funeral train of King George VI from Sandringham to London in 1952.
