South Eastern and Hitachi are celebrating a decade of High Speed 1 trains. The service has revolutionised travel for passengers in Kent and helped boost the county’s economy. Launched in 2009 – in the ten years it has operated it has carried 100 million passengers to and from London, with two key international stations at Ashford and Ebbsfleet.

Operating over 2,000 trains a day, carrying more than 640,000 passengers a day, serving 176 stations and covering 540-miles of railway infrastructure, it is one of the busiest networks in the country. The Javelin trains travel at speeds of up to 140mph and have significantly cut journey times for passengers travelling to the capital and across the South East.

David Statham, managing director at Southeastern said: “Since its launch 10 years ago, we have seen a marked increase in the number of businesses wanting to invest and grow in the locations such as Stratford and towns across Kent we connect. Southeastern Highspeed has played a key role in major events such as the London 2012 Olympics and been a catalyst for growth, generating economic, cultural and social value.”