THE Royal Regiment of Fusiliers has been honoured with the naming of a Virgin Trains Class 91 locomotive to mark its 50-year anniversary.

The special naming ceremony and unveiling of ‘The Fusiliers’ train took place at London Kings Cross.

Representatives from the First and Fifth Fusiliers provided a Guard of Honour along with Colonel of the Regiment, Major General Paul Nanson CBE who officially named the train along with David Horne, Virgin Trains’ managing director for the East Coast route.

Serving Fusiliers and veterans were welcomed on board before it made its journey to Newcastle for an official welcome ceremony.

The Regiment’s 50th anniversary year will be marked by a year-long programme of events taking place throughout in its key recruiting areas of Newcastle, Lancashire, the Midlands and London.

The newly named, high speed train will be operational on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland.

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, an English infantry Regiment in the British Army, was formed from four historic Fusilier Regiments in 1968.

Since then, the Fusiliers have seen service across the world in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the Balkans, the first and second Gulf Wars and in Afghanistan.

Its headquarters is at the heart of the Tower of London and the Regiment has two battalions – Fifth Fusiliers in Newcastle and First Fusiliers in Tidworth.