Crossrail Officially Renamed The ‘Elizabeth Line’ In Honour Of The Queen

The Crossrail underground project has officially been named after the Queen and will now be known as the Elizabeth line.

London Mayor Boris Johnson made the announcement as Her Royal Highness visited the still under-construction Bond Street station.

Renamed: Crossrail will be known as the Elizabeth line when it fully opens (TFL)

Explaining the choice of name, Boris said: “Crossrail is already proving a huge success for the UK economy and, as we move closer to bringing this transformative new railway into service, I think it’s truly wonderful that such a significant line for our capital will carry such a significant name from our country.

“As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch.”

The new line will see parts of Berkshire, Reading and Essex all linked up, cutting right across the centre of the existing Underground map.

Cut-through: The Elizabeth line will connect Reading and Berkshire to Essex (TFL)

Its purple colour scheme also matched up to the Queen’s choice of coat when she visited the site in central London.

The Elizabeth line, that has cost nearly £15 billion to build, is set to fully open in 2019, with some routes operating from May 2017.

Top pic: Twitter/@BritishMonarchy