In March 2027, the British royal train will be decommissioned as senior royals will switch to helicopters and scheduled trains for travel. The decision stems from high storage and maintenance costs relative to usage, requiring significant investments for further operation. The royal train, built in the 1970s, needs expensive refurbishments. Last year, it only completed two trips and had significantly more flights through other means. King Charles faces criticism for this switch, especially given his environmental stance, just before a notable anniversary of public rail travel in Britain.
The process to decommission the Royal Train, in anticipation of the expiry of the current contract in March 2027, will commence during the year. 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 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.
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.
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.
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