A teenager is one of the few people to have climbed aboard one of the new so-called bullet trains before they are in operation.

From next year the high-speed trains will take passengers from Ashford to King’s Cross St Pancras in 37 minutes – and will be maintained at the Hitachi depot in Ashford.

The visit was not just a way of entertaining Max Townley, 13, from Ashford, during the summer holidays but also an apology and a way of boosting his confidence which took a knock at Ashford International Station.

Max, who attends Bethany School in Goudhurst as he requires full dyslexic support, was making his first solo trip from Marden to his home one Friday evening in July. He found he was unable to buy a ticket on the packed commuter train so offered the £3 fare to the ticket inspectors on attempting to exit Ashford International. But an inspector wouldn’t allow him to buy a ticket and instead gave him a £20 fine.

Max’s mother Amanda Townley, who had gone to the station to pick him up, was furious.

She said: “He suffered heavy-handed treatment by one overzealous inspector and was unfairly fined.”

After Mrs Townley complained to Southeastern about her son's treatment, they were offered a trip to the new Hitachi depot.

Mrs Townley said: “I got the impression it was the first time they had offered anything like this.”

She said she was impressed the company had helped her son regain the confidence to travel by train.