The first High Speed Javelin train with passengers on board is doing a return trip from London St Pancras to Ashford International today.

It left London at around 7.45am and will hurtle at around 140mph through the Kent countryside. The journey each way takes about 35 minutes.

KM Group business editor Trevor Sturgess is on board this morning. He said: "We have always been a railway backwater, now at long last this is going to transform the image of Kent.

"It will make it very attractive for businesses, commuters and we may get people travelling from London to jobs in the county."

Paul Clark, MP for Gillingham and Rainham and Transport Minister, is also one of the passengers.

Audio: MP Paul Clark spoke to kmfm's Jo Sword from on board the train

He said: "The train is extremely smooth, quite spacious and state-of-the-art.

"Clearly a major investment has gone on in terms of making sure the train is comfortable for the travelling public."

On the journey from Ashford international back to St Pancras, the train made it in 29.26 minutes, traveling at 142.2mph.

Commuters will be able to try out the service themselves from June 29 - five months ahead of the full service launch in December.