Latest news with #decommission
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Yahoo
The British Royal Train Will Be Decommissioned Soon—Here's Why
The British royal train will be officially decommissioned in March 2027 due to maintenance costs. The Royals will shift to using helicopters and scheduled trains for travel between residences across the U.K. Before its retirement, the royal train will go on a farewell tour of Britain, giving the public a chance to say travel is almost synonymous with British culture. But in March 2027, the current British royal train will be decommissioned, and senior royals will instead depend on helicopters and scheduled trains to travel around the country and between their residences. 'The process to decommission the Royal Train, in anticipation of the expiry of the current contract in March 2027, will commence during the year," the Sovereign Grant Annual Report 2024-25 states. "This decision has been made due to: the cost associated with the storage and maintenance of the Royal Train versus the level of usage; the significant level of investment which would be required to keep the Royal Train in operation beyond 2027; and the two new helicopters providing a reliable alternative." The current train was built in the 1970s and is in need of tailor-made refurbishment that would most likely cost tens of millions of dollars. The original royal train was built for Queen Adelaide, the widow of King William IV, in 1842. In 1869, Queen Victoria commissioned a bespoke train vehicle for herself, since she saw touring the country as an important part of her duties. For her Diamond Jubilee (a celebration of the 60th year of her reign) in 1897, the Great Western Railway built a train of six vehicles for Queen Victoria's use. Some people are surprised that King Charles, who is known for his environmental activism, would oversee the discontinuation of the train in favor of less sustainable options like helicopters. The announcement also comes, ironically, weeks before Britain will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of public rail travel in the country. But in the last year, the royal train only made two trips, compared to 55 private charter flights, 141 helicopter journeys, and a number of scheduled flights. However, the U.K. isn't alone or completely unique in its decision. Other European monarchies have let go of their royal carriage trains over the last 25 years, with only Denmark and Norway currently retaining them. And even in those two countries, the trains are rarely used. Train lovers and fans of the British Royal Family will have a last chance to see the royal train before it goes out of commission. Before its 2027 retirement, the Royal Train will make a final farewell tour of Britain, allowing the public to see it one more time as it passes. It is unclear what will happen to the royal train after it's decommissioned, but significant train cars are often preserved in museums, so there may be opportunities to see and visit this train again, sometimes in the future. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
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Travel + Leisure
11-07-2025
- Travel + Leisure
The British Royal Train Will Be Decommissioned Soon—Here's Why
Train travel is almost synonymous with British culture. But in March 2027, the current British royal train will be decommissioned, and senior royals will instead depend on helicopters and scheduled trains to travel around the country and between their residences. 'The process to decommission the Royal Train, in anticipation of the expiry of the current contract in March 2027, will commence during the year," the Sovereign Grant Annual Report 2024-25 states. "This decision has been made due to: the cost associated with the storage and maintenance of the Royal Train versus the level of usage; the significant level of investment which would be required to keep the Royal Train in operation beyond 2027; and the two new helicopters providing a reliable alternative." The current train was built in the 1970s and is in need of tailor-made refurbishment that would most likely cost tens of millions of dollars. The original royal train was built for Queen Adelaide, the widow of King William IV, in 1842. In 1869, Queen Victoria commissioned a bespoke train vehicle for herself, since she saw touring the country as an important part of her duties. For her Diamond Jubilee (a celebration of the 60th year of her reign) in 1897, the Great Western Railway built a train of six vehicles for Queen Victoria's use. Some people are surprised that King Charles, who is known for his environmental activism, would oversee the discontinuation of the train in favor of less sustainable options like helicopters. The announcement also comes, ironically, weeks before Britain will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of public rail travel in the country. But in the last year, the royal train only made two trips, compared to 55 private charter flights, 141 helicopter journeys, and a number of scheduled flights. However, the U.K. isn't alone or completely unique in its decision. Other European monarchies have let go of their royal carriage trains over the last 25 years, with only Denmark and Norway currently retaining them. And even in those two countries, the trains are rarely used. Train lovers and fans of the British Royal Family will have a last chance to see the royal train before it goes out of commission. Before its 2027 retirement, the Royal Train will make a final farewell tour of Britain, allowing the public to see it one more time as it passes. It is unclear what will happen to the royal train after it's decommissioned, but significant train cars are often preserved in museums, so there may be opportunities to see and visit this train again, sometimes in the future.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
King Charles to Cut Costly Royal Train After $107,000 in Trips Over the Past Financial Year
King Charles III is making a modern change to a royal family tradition. The British monarch's new financial secretary announced on Tuesday, July 1, that the Royal Train is set to be decommissioned in 2027 after a series of needed renovations deemed the method of transformation to be cost ineffective. "The Royal Train has been part of national life for many decades, loved and cared for by all those involved. But in moving forwards, we must not be bound by the past,' James Chalmers, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, said in a statement. "Just as so many parts of the Royal household's work have been 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." Chalmers noted that Charles, 76, signed off on the decision and explained that there will be discussions regarding 'a long-term home where some particularly historic elements' of the train will be displayed. The announcement came after The Firm released their financial report for 2024-2025. The report explained that the decision to decommission the train came after comparing 'the cost associated with the storage and maintenance of the Royal Train versus the level of usage.' There would also be a 'significant level of investment' to keep the train in operation. (The latest series of major improvements made on the train took place in 1980.) How Much Do the Royal Family Members Really Make? Breaking Down Prince William and More Salaries Maintenance for the train is already under contract until 2027 but will not be renewed. The royal family will continue to use the Royal Train until it is decommissioned. The late Queen Elizabeth II used the Royal Train as her preferred method of transportation until her death in 2022. Charles, meanwhile, has only taken a trip on the train twice this year — and it's been pretty costly. The trips combined cost an estimated £78,000 (which converts to about $107,000.) Instead of taking the Royal Train, family members will have an alternative in two new helicopters added to the fleet. While Charles only used the Royal Train twice in the past year, the royal family has traveled by helicopter 141 times and used 55 privately chartered flights, according to Tuesday's financial report. The report also noted that the royal family's cost of travel came in at £4.7 million (about $6.4 million), a near half a million jump from last year's report. However the total 2024–2025 Sovereign Grant stayed the same, coming in at £86.3 million (about $118 million). Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Royal train will 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 ($118 million), 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 ($29.5 million) 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.
CTV News
01-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Royal train to end 156 years of service as King Charles III seeks to economize
King Charles III arrives by royal carriage during day five of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, England, Saturday June 21, 2025. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP) LONDON — 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 (US$118 million), including 34.5 million pounds to fund the remodelling 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 ($29.5 million) 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 travelled to Australia and attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa — his first as the organization's head. The royals also took centre 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. Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
