Queen’s history trip to recreate the first royal train journey
ON June 13, 1842, Queen Victoria became the first British monarch to travel by rail, proclaiming the journey “delightful and so quick” despite her nerves. Yesterday, 175 years on, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh recreated the journey for a new generation.
The Queen and Duke made the trip from Slough to Paddington on a prototype intercity hybrid train, accompanied by descendants of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Sir Daniel Gooch, who drove the original train.
They were the first members of the Royal family to travel on a brand new bimodal train, completing the journey six minutes faster than the Queen’s great-great-grandmother, Victoria.
Isambard Thomas, 53, the greatgreat-great-grandson of Brunel, who sat next to her en route to London, said: “It was fascinating how much interest she has in trains and in train journeys.
“Obviously it’s a different thing if you’re the monarch; you’re not sat in second class, queuing for the buffet.”
At London Paddington, the Queen unveiled one of the train’s engines, named Queen Elizabeth II. The rear engine is named for Queen Victoria.
The train, which has a top speed of 125mph, is designed for use on new electric lines, but has a small diesel engine that can also run on older lines. The Intercity Express upgrade will be the first major fleet to be introduced to the UK rail network in 20 years, and is due to roll out from autumn.