A "use it or lose it" plea has gone out to Maidstone commuters on the day the County Town joined the high-speed rail network.

The first departure left Maidstone West station at 6.56am today with a handful of passengers, including Maidstone and the Weald MP Helen Grant and Southeastern's managing director Charles Horton.

The six-month experimental 47-minute service operates three direct morning departures from the County Town and three return evening services from St Pancras International.

But Southeastern officials have promised more services if the introductory operation proves popular. Maidstone council leader Chris Garland said it was a good day for the town. "Any improvement to the train service has to be welcome," he said. "But we need to keep it so the message to commuters is “use it or lose it."

He admitted that it could be some time before the service wins jobs for the County Town, but it was a good first step and the council would be promoting the trains to businesses thinking of setting up in the area and creating jobs.

The new service is a victory for officials lobbying for improved rail links with London. But it does not satisfy commuters campaigning for a restoration of conventional services to Cannon Street and the City.

Mrs Grant said she would still campaign for the City service but nevertheless was pleased with the new high-speed operation.

"It's a start and we need to embrace it. It's a good thing for the County Town and I hope we make the most of it. Hopefully, it will be good for regeneration. We've got to sell and market it."

Vince Lucas, Southeastern's director of service delivery, urged Maidstone to promote the service in its sales pitch. "We can only provide the train service, we can't do economic redevelopment."

The operator would make a decision on the service's longer-term future within three months.