The Elizabeth line, that has cost almost £15 billion to build, is set to fully open in 2019, with some routes operating from May 2017.
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Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Crossrail is already proving a huge success for the United Kingdom economy and, as we move closer to bringing this transformative new railway into service”.
The queen visited works for the “Crossrail” project in central London on Tuesday with mayor Boris Johnson, who announced plans to rename the east-west line when it opens through central London.
She unveiled the purple Elizabeth line logo which will feature across the network, and wore an Angela Kelly lilac wool crepe dress with matching coat and hat for the occasion.
A London train line will be named the “Elizabeth Line” after Queen Elizabeth II.
The queen was the first reigning monarch to travel on the London underground and the Elizabeth line is the second track to be named in her honour; the Jubilee Line underground line was given its name to mark her 25th year on the throne in 1977.
Stretching from Reading and Heathrow in the west across to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, the Elizabeth line will significantly increase the Capital’s rail capacity, carrying over half a million passengers per day.
The railway’s services are expected to start in may next year, with a full service running from the end of December.
The central London segment is due to open in December 2018, with the segment between Liverpool Street station and Shenfield due to open in May next year.
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Mike Brown MVO, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “This new railway is absolutely vital to meeting the needs of the Capital’s rapidly growing population”.
