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 British royal family’s train will be retired by 2027, as part of a cost-saving measure announced by Buckingham Palace on Monday after “a thorough review into its use and value for money.”

It's the end of an era. The Royal Household released its Sovereign Grant Report for 2024-2025 on June 30, sharing that the royal train —a longtime favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth —will be decommissioned after "a thorough review into its use and value for money.