At 5.13am this morning a revolution in British rail travel as an early whistle will sound out in the darkness signalling the departure of a historic journey.

Britain’s first high-speed commuter train will have hit the dizzying heights of a top speed of 140mph as it flies across Kent from Ashford to eventually dock at London’s St Pancras station. The 58 mile journey will take a mere 37 minutes. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis and Dame Kelly Holmes will be two of the high profile passengers on the inaugural journey.

Lord Adonis has said that the new offering will ultimately see Britain connected to an ever expanding international network of reliably fast rail services that will link the great conurbations of the North, the Midlands and even Scotland to the capital. The services  may result in previously sleepy backwaters turning into thriving commuter centres and the government hopes that in addition to the huge reduction in travel times their will be considerable eco-benefit from reduced emissions from reduced air and road travel.

Although all three main political parties support the idea, the billions needed in funding may see the plans railroaded. Lord Adonis has commissioned a report from High Speed Two (HS2) into the feasibility of the new high-speed route map which will be delivered on December 30th.

At this stage, the most popular option is a Y-shaped line which would run up the middle of the country before splitting in two around Birmingham, with one strand heading to Scotland via Manchester and the other through Sheffield to Newcastle upon Tyne.