The royal train costs up to £1 million per year, making it twice as expensive as air travel on average, though its fixtures and fittings are more akin to a Travelodge than a palace.
Last year, for example, a one-way trip between Windsor and York made by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh cost £20,221. As a consequence, the Queen has increasingly travelled on public trains in recent years to save money.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/10378641/Royal-train-may-hit-the-buffers-after-Queens-treasurer-says-cost-of-replacing-it-is-staggering.html
Victrola1 The royal train costs up to £1 million per year, making it twice as expensive as air travel on average, though its fixtures and fittings are more akin to a Travelodge than a palace. Last year, for example, a one-way trip between Windsor and York made by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh cost £20,221. As a consequence, the Queen has increasingly travelled on public trains in recent years to save money. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/10378641/Royal-train-may-hit-the-buffers-after-Queens-treasurer-says-cost-of-replacing-it-is-staggering.html
At the risk of flinging a skunk into the middle of the Family picnic. If one were interested in saving money. It might be considered that AF-1 is definitely a "White Elephant" . THe flying time per hour is somewhat murky, as part of the monies to fly and maintain it are spread over the WH budget and the Air Force, as well. I do know that whenever it needs maint it has to be flown to a remote facility for secrecy and eveyone who works on it has to have some crazy high level security clearance. Cost estimates are pretty subjective based on one's perspective. Here is one estimate: :inked @ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/24/military-pegs-hourly-air-force-cost-g-obama-sets-travel-record/
FTL:""[snip]...The U.S. military has provided an updated estimate on that cost, first published by a taxpayer watchdog group and confirmed by FoxNews.com, and the number is staggering -- $181,757 per hour. That's the price tag for shuttling around President Obama, who, as it turns out, has spent more days abroad in his first two years than any other president. [snip]
[ at current exchange rate... $32317.921 equivalent US Dollars the Brits are getting a Bargain. ! ]
Maybe this country needs to bring back the " Magellan" to carry the President around in... It has got to be cheaper than $181 K per hour it is costing us now. And then those Special Helocopter rides... Schwinn still makes Bicycles for more than one passenger...How far to the Union Station from The White House...and look at the exercise they would be getting!
Take The TRAIN ! Mr. President.. AMTRAK needs your support.
Don't forget that there are two aircraft used as AF-1 (it's only AF-1 when the prez is on board). One is "in service" and the other is "in the shop" for overhaul. I don't know how long the cycle is, though.
Actually, there are three or four aircraft - the two "747's" and a smaller bird or two.
Remember, too, that it isn't just the prez and his family that usually fly on AF-1. There are often aides, some higher ranking administration members, and some press corps on board.
That said, travelling by rail could be cheaper, but knowing the hassles of moving the prez around on the ground, the ripple effect of moving him over the rail network would be huge. You think the railroads get disrupted by Amtrak?
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68 That said, travelling by rail could be cheaper, but knowing the hassles of moving the prez around on the ground, the ripple effect of moving him over the rail network would be huge. You think the railroads get disrupted by Amtrak?
Railroads get disrupted by Presidential movements on the ground today!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Sam,
$181K per flight hour is what I've heard, and having been in aviation for forty years I believe it's reasonably accurate. That's for the 747 alone, and does not include the support aircraft that ferry the limousines and secret service or the fighters that accompany AF1.
Tree,
Given the mess AF1 makes of aviation when it's active I can see whole states shut down if the pres were to travel by train.
Norm
Norm48327Given the mess AF1 makes of aviation when it's active I can see whole states shut down if the pres were to travel by train.
I know of a couple of times the prez has visited this area wherein his route of travel on the ground closed down the Interstate highways he was using.
Might better stick him in a "common" car and sneak him where he's got to go.
tree68 Norm48327Given the mess AF1 makes of aviation when it's active I can see whole states shut down if the pres were to travel by train. I know of a couple of times the prez has visited this area wherein his route of travel on the ground closed down the Interstate highways he was using. Might better stick him in a "common" car and sneak him where he's got to go.
Some years back when G. W. Bush was President, he visited Cedar Rapids and they shut the UP main down until his motorcade from the airport to the city had passed over the tracks by Beverly yard.
At the time, the road crossed the tracks at grade. Since then an overpass has been built.
Jeff
For the Queen to travel by rail in Britain makes sense. I won't comment on the USA situation, other than to say it is complicated. I think the Royal Train should be replaced by simply two railcars, one with dining and sitting rooms, and one with small kitchen and comfortable seats for staff. This should be sufficient. It can then be coupled to regular trains or run as a special when essential. And why not rent it out at an extremely high rental fee when not required for use by the Queen and not in for maintenance? Possibly it can earn money for the Briish Government?
I agree with everything in this thread except for the blatantly political reference to it as President Obama's security.
Since the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, the Secret Service has been allowed to indulge every paranoid fantasy they can dream up. The president travels in a fleet of custom bomb resistant armored cars on closed roads with Secret Service members and police officers on every overpass and at every entrance or exit. They use a fleet of 25 specially prepared helicopters that cost about a half a billion dollars each to ferry him to and from the airport. The reason they use several of each at a time is so that a bad guy doesn't know which one he is in. Several large support aircraft are required to transport the armored cars and his personal ambulance that accompany him everywhere, Etc. The cost of the aircraft is only a small piece of the cost and it was not instituted for THIS president.
Like the fiasco at the airport, this nation never considers cost when they are pandering to paranoia.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Heads of State traveling present many more problems than Aunt Tilly going to Wal-Mart!
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.