You won’t be seeing an HS1 Javelin train pull into Elephant & Castle anytime soon, but you can use an HS1 ticket from there.
That’s because although HS1’s high-speed Javelin services only stop within London at St Pancras International and Stratford International, tickets to travel on HS1 are also valid at several Thameslink stations.
Under a ticket-sharing arrangement between Southeastern and Thameslink, any high-speed ticket routed “Plus High Speed” and travelling to or from a London Terminal doesn’t actually have to begin or end at Stratford or St Pancras stations.
According to Network Rail, HS1 tickets can be used to start or finish journeys at several central London stations, including:
- London Blackfriars
- City Thameslink
- Elephant & Castle
- Farringdon
- London Bridge
OK, it’s obscure, but for people who could use those stations, it saves them from having to buy a Zone 1 ticket on top of their High-Speed ticket. So it can be a small money-saver if planning a day trip to Kent.
So while the high-speed trains may stay firmly on HS1, your ticket doesn’t have to.
