THE Queen today gave the new Elizabeth line named after her - the royal seal of approval.
Her Majesty was visiting its Paddington station to mark the completion of the £20 billion rail link, which will transform cross-London travel.
“I'm sure all of us agree that in this unique Jubilee year there is no figure who more deserves the honour of having this wonderful new line named after them," Boris Johnson told the Standard shortly before she was expected to arrive.
Passenger services are set to start on the line next Tuesday. The Queen, 96, “reluctantly” decided not to attend the State Opening of Parliament last Tuesday after consultation with her doctors, Buckingham Palace explained, as she "continues to experience episodic mobility problems”.
She went to the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Friday and today she was expected to meet some of the staff who built the Elizabeth line, known during construction as Crossrail, and unveil a plaque. Mr Johnson hailed the line as a "vast new artery" to pump more life through London.
The Prime Minister added that it was a “great feat” of engineering to "carve the future" for the capital as it shrugs off the Covid-19 pandemic to embark on a new era.
This story is from the May 17, 2022 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the May 17, 2022 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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