UK - New high-speed Javelin arrives early

[John Ashworth]

High-speed Javelin arrives early

BBC
Page last updated at 08:33 GMT, Monday, 29 June 2009 09:33 UK

The UK's first high-speed commuter train has arrived in London one minute early, reaching London St Pancras 36 minutes after leaving Ashford, Kent.

The 140mph Japanese-built "Javelin" train was running on the Channel Tunnel rail link, known as High Speed 1.

The Hitachi Class 395 train left Ashford at 0648 BST with about 150 passengers and stopped at Ebbsfleet before arriving at 0724 BST.

The journey takes about 80 minutes on a conventional train.

Commodity broker Mike Hussey, who travelled from Ashford, said: "It's absolutely brilliant. It's the way travel should be."

Businessman Martin Brown, 52, also from Ashford, said: "It's a very good train.

"We should have had it years ago rather than travelling in cattle-class".

Monday's service was the start of a weekday only, limited "preview" of the new trains ahead of full service introduction on 13 December.

At present the javelins are running only as far as Ashford but by the end of the year they will be getting to Canterbury in 59 minutes, Folkestone in 57 minutes and Ramsgate in 80 minutes.

In 2012, the javelin trains will whisk spectators from St Pancras to the Olympics site at Stratford, east London, in seven minutes.



Britain's fastest commuter train arrives early on maiden journey

Evening Standard
29.06.09

The UK's first commuter high-speed train service arrived a minute early today - reaching London from Ashford in Kent in just 36 minutes.

The journey, which normally takes around one hour 20 minutes, was made possible by operating a 140mph Japanese-built 'javelin' train on a section of the High Speed 1 - the Channel Tunnel rail link.

The Hitachi Class 395 train, run by the Southeastern Rail Company, left Ashford at 6.48am with around 150 passengers on board.

It made just the one stop Ebbsfleet in North Kent and finally came to a halt at St Pancras Station in London at 7.24am - one minute ahead of schedule.

Passengers emerging into the bright sunshine in London were impressed.

Commodity broker Mike Hussey from Ashford, said: "It's absolutely brilliant. It's the way travel should be."

Businessman Martin Brown, 52, also from Ashford, said: "It's a very good train. We should have had it years ago rather than travelling in cattle-class".

Southeastern commercial director Vince Lucas, who was on the first train, said: "It went very well."

Passengers today have to pay more than they would normally do on the normal-speed journeys with the London to Ebbsfleet single on the javelin trains rising from £9.10 to £12.20, and London-Ashford going up from £22.20 to £26.60.

Today is the start of a weekday only, limited "preview" service of the new trains ahead of the introduction of the full service on December 13.

At present the javelins are only running as far as Ashford but by the end of the year they will help reduce journey times to Kent towns from London considerably.

Canterbury will be reached in 59 minutes, Folkestone in 57 minutes and Ramsgate in 80 minutes.

In 2012, the javelin trains will whisk spectators from St Pancras to the Olympics site at Stratford, east London in just seven minutes.

The javelin trains are built by the same company which manufactures the Japanese bullet trains. The Class 395's have 338 seats and, with standing, can accommodate 508 passengers.

[John Ashworth]

South Eastern Railway News
Jul 2 2009

High speed services proving a success

Following the successful launch of the ‘preview’ High Speed services on Monday 29 June, passenger numbers using the service have required Southeastern to double the length of the train on some services.

The service has proven so popular with passengers that Southeastern today were required to double the length of the 0748 from Ashford International to St Pancras and the 1737 from St Pancras International to Ashford International form six to 12 cars.

Vince Lucas, commercial director, said, “We are really pleased with how the service has been received by passengers. It has proven to be very popular and as a result we have had to extend the last train from Ashford in the morning and the first train back in the evening from St Pancras. This is excellent news and shows that the 37 minute journey, from around 80 minutes, is proving a real draw for passengers. However we are not going to be complacent and recognise that this is early days, so we will be working as hard as possible to ensure the continued smooth running of the service.”

The preview service is running three morning peak services from Ashford International to St Pancras International and three return services in the evening peak. Trains from Ebbsfleet International will see six morning peak services to St Pancras International and six services back in the evening peak. Throughout the day services will run twice hourly between Ebbsfleet International and St Pancras International.