High speed trains

We're celebrating 10 years of high speed service

Over the past decade, over 100 million passenger journeys have been made on Southeastern’s Highspeed service, which first opened for business with a special preview service on June 29, 2009.

Find out more about our 10 years of high speed

Travel at speed

We run the UK’s only high speed train line. Our Javelin trains travel at high speeds up to 140mph from London St Pancras International or Stratford International to Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International, that go on to call at many stations across Kent – including Canterbury, Margate, Ramsgate, Dover, Whitstable and Folkestone. So you can get where you need to be, faster.

You can take your bike on our Off-Peak services too but cycle space is limited - check our bike policy for more information.

Supplements

You can buy a supplement and upgrade to high speed services if you have:

A valid ticket or Season Ticket for any Southeastern service into London
High speed supplements can be added to Key Smartcards at a ticket office
A Travelcard starting from a Southeastern station outside the London Travelcard area

You can buy daily high speed upgrades from ticket offices and vending machines. If you don’t have a valid existing ticket and you want to use the high speed line you should buy a high speed ticket instead.

Buying a high speed supplement – what else should I know?

Can I use my ticket on a high speed service?

You will be able to travel on a high speed service if your ticket has one of the following routes:

PLUS HIGH SPEED – for tickets
ANY PERMITTED – for long distance tickets, for example if you are continuing your journey beyond St Pancras International
UPGRADE + HIGH SPEED – for supplements, when shown with an existing valid ticket for Southeastern services in and out of London

You can't use a ticket on the high speed route that says on it ‘Not Valid on high speed unless you've bought a supplement as well.

Travelling on a Season Ticket?

Can I get a discount?

You can get a discount on our high speed services if you have one of the following railcards:

Disabled
Family & Friends
Senior
16-25
Network Railcard
Two Together
Forces Railcard

If you use a Railcard to get a discount, normal minimum fare rules will still apply.

Tickets bought with a Jobcentreplus Travel Discount Card are not valid for travel on high speed services - even if an upgrade ticket is purchased.

Using Oyster PAYG and Contactless

You can save time on your commute and skip the ticket machine by using Oyster pay as you go and Contactless payments to travel on high speed services between London St Pancras International and Stratford International.

The Oyster/Contactless fares between these stations will be the same as or lower than the standard high speed ticket prices. Remember though, separate high speed pay as you go rates apply. This new fare is not included within daily or weekly capping.

Note that London Travelcards are not accepted on high speed train services.

For full details on Oyster and Contactless payment visit tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments.

Ways to save

Are you planning a weekend getaway, or thinking of travelling in a group of three to nine adults? Take advantage of our cheap Off-Peak train tickets such as Weekender, GroupSave and Kids for a £1 to make the most of your trip. Find more ways to save and check out our top money saving tips.

Key facts

Southeastern introduced the UK’s first domestic high speed service from East Kent to St Pancras International in June 2009
This service has cut journey times between Central London and Kent
The high speed trains played a key role during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games as the Javelin shuttle service. Many of the trains are named after Olympic athletes
All high speed services on our routes to Kent are Hitachi Class 395 trains

Tempted to travel on our high speed trains? Explore our network map and start planning your journey now!

Questions about our services?

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Get there quicker on our 140mph Javelin trains, on the UK’s only high speed train line, running from London St Pancras International to top destinations in Kent