A palace source said the decision was made following advice from several organisations, including the police, government agencies and local councils. It is understood that it would have caused disruption to public rail transport routes. They claimed that using the RAF plane was the original plan, which they have now reverted to. Nigel Harris, editor of Rail magazine, said the decision was “wrong”. “People don’t get a chance to pay their respects to the queen,” he said. “I don’t think he would do well with that.”
“big mistake”
He added: “The decision not to use the Royal Train to take Queen Elizabeth II back to London on her final journey was, in my view, a major blunder by the government, the palace and the railways. “Millions – and I mean millions – of people living south of the Scottish Borders and north of London have been deprived of this powerful, humbling experience.” He argued that choosing not to use it on such an important occasion would add to arguments to scrap the Royal train altogether.
