The British Rail Class 395 Javelin is a dual-voltage electric multiple-unit (EMU) passenger train built by Hitachi Rail as part of the Hitachi A-train AT300 family for high-speed commuter services on High Speed 1 and elsewhere on the South Eastern franchise. The whole fleet is operated by Southeastern. The Class 395 can operate at a maximum speed of under 25kVAC overhead electrification on High Speed 1, and on 750VDC third rail supply on conventional lines. It is typically formed as a six-car train, although they can be rapidly coupled to one another to form a 12-car train as required. The type, which was entirely manufactured in Japan, is the first Hitachi-built rail vehicle to be sold to a European customer, as well as being the first British order for a Japanese train. The fleet was ordered during June 2005 by HSBC Rail, and was delivered to the UK between August 2007 and August 2009. Following the completion of fault-free running six months ahead of schedule, a 'preview' service was launched between London St Pancras and Ashford via Ebbsfleet on 18 June 2009. These were gradually expanded until the commencement of the full regular service on 13 December 2009. The use of the high-speed trains as part of the transport infrastructure for the Olympic Park formed part of the original bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The service was named the Olympic Javelin, which formed the origin of the Javelin nickname. The Olympic services began 28 July 2012. Furthermore, the Class 395 has also been irregularly operated for charter servicesthough the first such uses did not happen until after the 2012 Olympics due to a lack of free units. History Background In December 2003, formal approval was given by the Strategic Rail Authority for domestic services to be run on the under-construction Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) in Kent, England, which has since been rebranded as High Speed 1 (HS1). Preliminary consultations for a new franchise including the envisioned 'CTRL Domestic' services along with new rolling stock for operating the said services, which were to begin in 2004. In 2005, the proposed high-speed services were combined with those from the former South Eastern rail franchise to form the Integrated Kent franchise (IKF). In October 2004, Hitachi was announced as the preferred bidder to supply high-speed trains for the CTRL services. During June 2005, a contract valued at £250million was signed with