King Charles is a man acutely aware that the monarchy has to be seen to provide value for money in these straitened times. Therefore, to coincide with the announcement that the royal household is to be given over £130 million of public money for the next two years to complete works on Buckingham Palace, it has been revealed that the cash-guzzling royal train is to be scrapped.

It is true that, from any economic perspective, the regal locomotive does not represent a worthwhile investment; it only made two trips last year, each lasting two days, and the total cost was nearly £78,000. But the news that it will be decommissioned before the current maintenance programme ends in March 2027 will make many people – not just royalists and trainspotters – feel a sense of sorrow at what is to be lost.

Sometimes heritage and tradition are more important than scrabbling around the back of the figurative sofa

Train travel in Britain used to be an event and an adventure. It’s........

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