To travel on high speed services, you can either buy a walk on or supplement ticket.
Walk on Tickets
Walk on high speed tickets will allow you to travel on high speed services, and can be bought online or at the ticket office.
Supplements
If you have a ticket to London Terminals, an outboundary** Travelcard ticket or you hold a Season ticket, you can upgrade to high speed services by paying a supplement in addition to your current ticket.
For example, a ticket from Margate to St Pancras International would require a supplement in order to travel on the high speed service between Ashford and St Pancras International.
Please note an upgrade ticket on it's own is not valid, it must be accompanied by a Southeastern ticket that is not valid on high speed services.
Supplements cannot be bought online but can be purchased at the ticket office or from any self-service machine*.
To find out which stations have self-service ticket machines, check our station information pages.
High speed ticket details
The following ticket descriptions entitle you to travel on high speed services:
- PLUS HIGH SPEED – this is shown on either a walk up or supplement ticket.
- UPGRADE + HS – this is shown on a supplement ticket and must be accompanied by a Southeastern ticket that is not valid on high speed services. Please note Earlybird ticket holders are not eligable for a high speed upgrade.
- ANY PERMITTED - in the case of long distance through tickets, i.e. destinations beyond St Pancras.
- Please note there is no first class seating on high speed services.
- Tickets that are not valid on the high speed route specifically state ‘Not Valid on HS1’, unless a supplement has been purchased.
- Passengers holding a valid first class ticket may be entitled to travel on high speed services free of charge. Ask at your local station whether your ticket entitles you to use high speed services.
- First class ticket holders who have to travel back to pick up high speed services will require a ticket between their origin station and relevant high speed station.
- The following railcard discounts apply: Disabled, Family & Friends, Senior, 16-25, Network Railcard and Forces railcards. Normal minimum fare rules apply.
- Tickets purchased with a New Deal Card are not valid for travel on high speed services (even if an upgrade ticket is purchased). Find out more about New Deal.
* If buying from a self-service ticket machine, please select 'St Pancras' station as opposed to 'London St Pancras'.
** These are stations outside the London Travelcard zones.
