High speed rail base secures jobs

The new Javelin trains have a dedicated depot at Ashford.

The decision to house and service the new high speed rail link trains at more than one Kent location has guaranteed 160 jobs, Southeastern said.

Ramsgate depot has been given a £35m upgrade so some of the Hitachi class 395 trains, which have a top speed of 140mph (225km/h), can be kept there.

Southeastern trains said most of the new trains would still be kept at their dedicated base in Ashford.

The Javelin trains will operate on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link from 2009.

Cut train times

Nigel Jarret, of Southeastern, said: "It's been 18 months in the construction. It's cost somewhere in the region of £35m.

"There's about 160 jobs that have been secured by this new facility. It's quite an impressive building. The shed alone has 8,000 square metres and five roads as we call them that trains can be brought in on for maintenance."

He added: "One of its jobs is to look after our existing 375 Electrostar fleet trains that our mainline customers now use but it will also be providing stabling and light maintenance possibilities for the new class 395 high speed trains.

"They do have a dedicated depot at Ashford where they will be chiefly maintained but the facilities at Ramsgate enable us to look after them overnight."

From 2009, the trains will run between London's St Pancras International station and Ashford in 36 minutes - less than half the time it currently takes.

London to Canterbury journeys will drop from 102 minutes to an hour, while London to Folkestone will come down from 98 minutes to 62 minutes.