DID YOU KNOW? THE ROYAL FAMILY AND TRAINS

Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth II had a close connection to trains, with trains often being described as her favorite mode of transportation. The late Queen unveiled a number of trains, with perhaps the most notable being the launch of the Elizabeth line – named after the monarch - in 2022. To commemorate King Charles III’s coronation, here are five facts about the Royal Family and trains.

1966: The Queen rode the final royal train service between Aberdeen and Ballater on the Royal Deeside Railway, just before the line closed permanently.

  • It marked the end of an era for train travel in Deeside. Even today it is remembered as the “Royal Line”.
  • The royals themselves haven’t forgotten about it either - in 2017, the then Prince Charles visited the restored railway carriage at the Royal Deeside Railway.

1977: The current Royal Train came into service in 1977 to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

  • It has nine carriages, normally occupied by the most senior royals. – Formerly this would have been the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh before he retired. as well as the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

2007: Prince Charles took part in a trial to test whether the Royal train could run using biofuel.

  • The prince travelled in the EWS-operated Royal Train to Scarborough, hauled by a Class 67 locomotive fueled by 100 per cent biofuel.
  • The locomotive, named ‘Royal Sovereign’, was powered by waste vegetable oil which would otherwise have been dumped by the food industry.
  • The two diesel locomotives used prior to the current, primarily biofuel, ones were given the names William and Henry after the Queen's grandchildren, Prince William, and Harry.

2017: the Queen celebrated the 175th anniversary of the first royal train journey.

  • The Queen and the Duke recreated the first royal train journey. On 13 June 1842, Queen Victoria made the pioneering journey from Slough, Berkshire, to London Paddington. This journey made her the first British monarch to travel by train.
  • The train was driven by Sir Daniel Gooch and assisted by renowned engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who designed Great Western Railway.

 The Queen meets Gillian White the great-great-grandaughter of Sir Daniel Gooch.

2022: the Queen made a surprise appearance at the opening of the Elizabeth line. The first passenger on the line, however, was Prince Edward, who travelled to Tottenham Court Road and back.

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