The Elizabeth Line - fit for a queen

She's already taken over Victoria as the longest reigning monarch and now she's joining great, great granny with an honour reserved for just a few. Elizabeth II is going to have a railway line named after her.

A line of one's own - The Queen with the sign that shows London's newest transport network will bear her name

(photo @transportgovuk Twitter)

Crossrail, the new network that will reach Essex, Berkshire and Buckingham as well as crisscrossing London, will be called the Elizabeth Line when it opens in December 2018. The announcement was made as the Queen visited a station construction site in London to see how work on this huge transport project is progressing.

The Queen is presented with a new roundel marking Crossrail 1's naming as the Elizabeth Line. Her Majesty visited the Crossrail construction site at Bond Street where she met engineers, construction workers, apprentices and Transport for London staff. © Press Association

A photo posted by The British Monarchy (@the_british_monarchy) on Feb 23, 2016 at 6:53am PST

The Queen went almost 100 feet below ground to visit the construction site and meet some of the workers helping bring the new line to life.  And then she unveiled a sign for the new line.

The Queen unveils a plaque marking @Crossrail 1's naming as the #Elizabethline, in Her Majesty's 90th year pic.twitter.com/FxK0MzP78I

— BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) February 23, 2016

It was London's outgoing major, Boris Johnson, who made the announcement that Crossrail will be named after the first monarch to travel on a tube train. He said ''the Elizabeth Line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest serving monarch.'' The Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, said ''Given Her Majesty the Queen's long association with UK transport, it is very fitting that this vital link across our capital will be named the Elizabeth Line in her honour.''

Embed from Getty Images

Every transport line needs a colour for when it's added to the iconic transport map and the Elizabeth is no exception. And what other colour could it be than regal purple - we got our first glimpse today as the Queen unveiled a sign.

Crossrail to be named the Elizabeth line when the new service opens to central London passengers in December 2018 pic.twitter.com/1h56iDG8Oh

— Crossrail Project (@Crossrail) February 23, 2016

She was presented with her own version to take away with her and looked rather pleased about the whole thing. But then she had just joined Victoria in the history books one more time with a line to call her own.