Southeastern High Speed arrives 4th February! Explore some of its striking stations and landmarks as we travel from Faversham to St Pancras International...

Your journey starts in the Kentish town of Faversham, home to Britain’s oldest brewery and a junction used by many passengers from across the South East of England either on their way to London or heading to the Kent coast for a fun day out. Faversham station retains many of its traditional features from when it was rebuilt in 1898 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, it is now a Grade 2 listed building and well preserved by Network Rail.

Having left Faversham station your journey takes you through farmland, orchards and rural village stations, giving you a snapshot of the natural beauty of the South East of England and why Kent is known as the Garden of England.

Sittingbourne station sits on an embankment with the town on one side and the busy industrial park on the other. Since 1708 Sittingbourne has produced paper, with the arrival of the railways in the 1800s this small market town expanded into an industrial hub. Unfortunately, production of the paper ceased in 2007, and very little remains of the mill's infrastructure. The Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway is all that remains and is, preserved by dedicated enthusiasts.

Emerging from the tunnel that connects Gillingham station to the rest of the Medway towns you are greeted with views of historical buildings, busy town centres, large developments and thriving industry. This riverside collection of historic towns includes Chatham, Rochester and Strood.

Chatham station is cut into the chalky hill that much of the town is situated on, and station entrance has changed very little since it first opened in 1881. Chatham is crammed with history, though it's most famous for its Royal Dockyard which produced many of the most famous ships of the British Navy. The Dockyard is now a museum and is also home to our Dovetail Games offices.

The very modern station at Rochester was opened in 2015, it is starkly juxtaposed against the old town and lets you enjoy views of the magnificent Norman castle and cathedral in one direction and the river Medway in the other. Shortly before arriving in the rebuilt Strood station, you cross the imposing Rochester bridge giving you a final view of the Medway Valley and surrounding towns.

Beyond Strood station is a long tunnel that was cut almost 200 years ago and originally used for a canal, this then emerges into the marshland surrounding Gravesend. Gravesend station is the last station on your journey towards London that offers local service trains, so has become a busy interchange for local and highspeed services.

As the train arrives at Ebbsfleet international station it enters the first section of the high-speed line, this opened connections to Europe and the rest of the UK for South East England and London. Once the BR Class 395 Javelin has converted power from its third rail DC connection to overhead AC it can reach higher speeds.

The high-speed section of the route immediately plunges under the river Thames and emerges with views across Essex and the London skyline in the distance. The BR Class 395 Javelin has the freedom to reach its top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h) and this fast section of the line really helps reduce journey times to central London from the South East England.

The line enters an impressive 12-mile long tunnel that sits at depths between 24 and 50 metres below the surface. Stopping only at Stratford international station on its way towards its final destination. Stratford international provided the London Olympic games of 2012 with a modern station and transport hub, today the additional infrastructure gives commuters easy access to the Docklands light railway and London underground.

Your journey terminates in the magnificent London St Pancras, designed by William Henry Barlow and opened in 1868. The incredible single-span overall roof was the largest such structure in the world at the time of its completion. It is now London’s gateway for European travel and a fitting end to your journey through the South East of England.