Content
Southeastern Javelin (UK)
Welcome to the guide to travelling on Britain's fastest train service.
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At a Glance
Travel Pass Supplement
Rail Pass Reservation Fees
Reservations
Not Available
Time of Day
Day
Accessibility
Accessing the train
Wheelchair Spaces
Bikes Allowed
Train Specification
Attributes of the train
Has a Conductor
High Speed (partial journey)
Country
Which country these trains operate in.
Great Britain
Travel Passes
Eurail
InterRail
On Board
Standard
Perks
WiFi
A complimentary WiFi portal is available throughout this train.
Power Socket (UK)
The power sockets on this train are compatible with the standard 3-point plugs as typically used in the UK.
Travel summary:
These ‘Javelin’ services travel at 225 km/h (140 mph) on the high speed line between London and Kent, which they share with international Eurostar services, hence the branding they carry of ‘Britain’s fastest train’.
In common with the majority of trains which operate between London and south-east England, these trains were designed to accommodate both commuters and leisure travellers, so they lack some of the features typically found on long-distance express trains, such as on-board catering facilities.
Unusually for a train service in south-east England, first-class seating is not available on these trains.
However, due to the comparatively short transit times, the high speed London <> Ashford journey typically takes only 39 minutes, that won’t be an issue.
What matters more is the speed and reliability, particularly as these Javelin services don’t have to share the route between London and Ashford with slower trains.
The Southeastern trains Wi-fi portal is both free to use and easy to access, though connectivity is not available in the lengthy tunnels between London and Ebbsfleet.
The portal tends to be very reliable on the other sections of the route.
The power-sockets are under each set of seats.
Boarding:
In common with trains on other ‘commuter routes’ to/from London, seat reservations aren’t available, but ShowMeTheJourney is a regular user of these trains outside business hours and we have yet to board a departure at St Pancras on which seats weren’t available.
Though to maximise your chances of finding a seat, being at St Pancras International station ready to board with a ticket in hand, a minimum of 10 minutes before departure, can be a good idea.
When heading to London, if need be, walk through the train to find unoccupied seats – the coaches on services to London tend to be less busy towards the rear of the train.
Priority seating marked by a letter ‘P’ is available by the doors for travellers who require a seat, so other passengers are requested to sit elsewhere.
Each coach on these trains has luggage racks by the doors, so if you see space on the rack, take advantage of it when boarding and then look for a seat.
More information regarding travelling with luggage.
Bicycles:
Non-folding bicycles can be taken on any departure, except for services on Monday to Friday working days which arrive in London between 07:00 and 10:00 and depart from London between 16:00 and 19:00 – more information is available here.
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We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
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This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.
