Operator Renames Trains After Athletes

Train operator Southeastern has come up with an innovative way of associating itself with the London 2012 Olympics after renaming 12 of its high-speed trains after British athletes.

Olympic cycling champion Jamie Staff, who was part of the men’s sprint team that claimed gold in Beijing last year, unveiled the first of the trains at Ashford International Station.

The athletes were chosen in a public vote to pick names for the Japanese-built Class 395 140mph Javelin trains.
High-speed trains are currently running a limited Kent to London service with a full service to begin on 13th December.

Staff, who comes from Ashford, unveiled a train bearing his name which went into service immediately.

Southeastern said trains bearing the other athletes’ names would come into service over the next couple of weeks.

Fellow Kent athlete Dame Kelly Holmes will also have a train named after her while the others will be named after Steve Backley, Sir Steve Redgrave, Rebecca Adlington, Chris Hoy, Ben Ainslie, Daley Thompson, Duncan Goodhew, Katherine Grainger, Lord Sebastian Coe and Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson.

The preview service began running in June from Ashford to London St Pancras and was extended to Dover last month.

Southeastern said the service to Dover had been so successful it would be increased from six carriages to 12.