Operations and Performance
A full regular service commenced on 13 December 2009. Initial services included a half-hourly north Kent service via Stratford, Ebbsfleet, Gravesend, Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham, and Sittingbourne to Faversham, a half-hourly service to east Kent via Stratford, Ebbsfleet, Ashford with one train continuing to Margate via Canterbury West, Ramsgate and Broadstairs, and the other to Dover via Folkestone West and Folkestone Central. Seven million journeys were made in the first year of operation,
The introduction of the trains was generally successful, with good reliability and passenger satisfaction figures; the new high-speed services also caused an increase in passenger numbers above that already being experienced on the Kent network. On introduction timetabled journeys to London from Ebbsfleet were reduced from 51 to 18 minutes, whilst trains using the entire length of High Speed 1 (starting in Ashford) had timetabled journeys reduced by around 45 minutes. However, the service has been criticised as being of limited utility to many London commuters due to most services terminating at St Pancras. Additionally, the change in service patterns to accommodate the introduction of high-speed service has resulted in some non-high-speed services in Kent being slower.
In May 2011 a limited service from Maidstone West via Strood and Gravesend started. followed in September 2011 by a limited service from Sandwich via Deal to London St Pancras, partially subsidised by Kent County Council. In the second year of operation total passenger numbers were over eight million.
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