The new high-speed rail link between London and Kent could signal a boost for railway jobs as similar services could be rolled out across the country in the future, the transport secretary has said.

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The new rail service between St Pancras International and Kent, which was launched on December 14th, will see trains travel at up 140 mph.

It will also significantly reduce commuter times, opening up areas such as Kent to those who had not previously considered living in the countryside, according to local estate agencies.

Transport secretary Lord Adonis said the first domestic high-speed rail service was as significant as the advent of the railways in the 19th century.

"I believe that today will come to be seen in its own way as a moment in railway history of the same significance as the opening of the Liverpool to Manchester railway in 1830," he told the Financial Times.

Lord Adonis added that ministers would publish plans for more high-speed lines in spring 2010.