More photos from the launch of the Bayeux Tapestry train at Hastings

The four-car Class 375, named King Harold II by the people of Battle and Hastings, was unveiled at Hastings station on September 15.

The train was unveiled by community leaders and partners including Helena Dollimore MP who has been working with Southeastern on the campaign to enable young people from the area to access the special display at the British Museum.

Thirty five Hastings schoolchildren, from Mulberry Baird Academy, were among the first to benefit from 1,066 complimentary rail tickets being provided by Southeastern to help young people visit the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum in London.

Their journey marks the start of Southeastern's programme providing 1,066 complimentary rail tickets for local schoolchildren, helping more young people access a once-in-a-generation cultural event and learn about the area's unique place in British history.

Twenty local schools have already applied for tickets, with almost 800 places allocated so far. The tickets are designed to help remove barriers to educational travel while encouraging children to learn more about the history on their doorstep.

The train name, celebrating the story of 1066, was chosen by around 6,000 people from Hastings and Battle in a public vote, the four-car Class 375 carries specially commissioned artwork depicting iconic scenes from the 1066 story, as told by the Bayeux Tapestry, and will travel across the Southeastern network over the coming year.

Alongside the commemorative artwork, the train features the new GBR I South Eastern logo, revealing for the first time the new name for Southeastern under Great British Railways.

Helena Dollimore MP, for Hastings, Rye and the villages, said: "It was fantastic to wave off pupils from Baird Primary on their way to the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum in London. Although Hastings has often been at the centre of historical events, we have not always felt the benefits. That is why I have been working with South Eastern to secure 1,066 free train tickets for local schools to access the exhibition and improve transport links to our area so that more tourists can discover 1066 Country during this time we are enjoying in the national spotlight.

"Securing a faster train service for our town has been one of my top priorities as our local MP, and I am so pleased that a new fast service from Hastings to London will be launching in December. This is great news for commuters and for our local shops, hotels, pubs, and restaurants that rely on tourists coming down to visit us."

Steve White, South Eastern Railway’s Managing Director, said: "The Bayeux Tapestry's return to the UK is a special moment in our history; and for communities with deep roots in that history, like ours, it means even more. As a purpose-led organisation, giving back to our communities is central to what we do, which is why, with the backing of the local MP, we wanted to provide school children free tickets so they could see the tapestry for themselves.

“King Harold II wasn't a name chosen in a boardroom - it was selected by local people from Battle and Hastings, and it belongs to the people within the communities we serve. We're incredibly proud that our newly decorated train will be running across our network for the next year marking the tapestry’s historic stay at the British Museum”.

Pictures by Andy Jones for Southeastern and Kevin Boorman.