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Queen Elizabeth II marks monarch milestone by reopening Scotland's Borders Railway

Xinhua, September 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

On the day she became Britain's longest serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday marked the milestone by reopening the Borders Railway in southeast Scotland.

The 89-year-old queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, were joined by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and 150 other guests on an iconic steam train journey from Edinburgh to mark the official route opening.

The line runs between Tweedbank station and the capital city.

"Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception. But I thank you all and the many others at home and overseas for your touching messages of great kindness," said the Queen at the railway opening ceremony.

During the 40-mile (about 64-km) journey, the steam locomotive, Union of South Africa, made a stop at Newtongrange for a Royal plaque unveiling, before conducting a slow pass through Galashiels to allow the thousands gathered to celebrate the line's opening.

Sturgeon greeted the Queen with "a simple but heartfelt thank you" for her work, noting that "The reception she has received today demonstrates that admiration and affection is certainly felt here in Scotland".

She said the Queen was "adding a special touch to what is already a special day for the Scottish Borders, for Midlothian, and for Scotland as a whole." First Minister Sturgeon said the reopening of the the Borders Railway 46 years after it had closed would help generate prosperity and improve people's quality of life.

The Queen and the royal family were staying at Balmoral resort in northern Scotland for a summer holiday.

The Queen overtook her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria's reign of 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes at 17:30 GMT on Wednesday, becoming Britain's longest-reigning monarch. Endit