PM gives boost to return of international trains to Ashford

The prime minister has said the government will look into bringing international services back to Ashford railway station.

Andy Burnham said he would ask the transport secretary to explore the possibility of restoring services to the hub in Kent, which were suspended during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and have yet to resume.

Helena Dollimore, the Labour MP for Hastings and Rye, said the move would bring a £2.7bn boost to Kent and Sussex and attract more than 500,000 visitors annually.

Dollimore said restoring services to the station was a "no-brainer" because the international terminal was already in place.

People who wish to travel via train to mainland Europe from south-east England currently need to travel into London and board a Eurostar service from St Pancras International, adding a significant amount of time to journeys.

Late last year, Kent County Council revealed more than 82,000 people had backed a campaign to bring international rail services back to the county.

Eurostar has held a monopoly on passenger services since the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994, but the regulator recently approved Virgin Trains' application to share a depot with the firm.

Speaking on BBC Radio Kent, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce chief executive Tudor Price welcomed the Prime Minister's intervention.

He said it was a "fantastic move forward" and would help build hope among companies who were considering operating international rail services.

Price said Burnham's comments gave "confidence to the investors that actually this is a good prospect and therefore if that commercial viability is there it gathers its own momentum".

He said several operators were interested in running services through the Channel Tunnel.

Virgin plans to launch cross-Channel rail services linking London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam from 2030.

The company has said it intends to run up to 20 daily return services through the Channel Tunnel.

A Virgin Group spokesperson said: "We recognise the significant public interest in the reintroduction of international services at Ebbsfleet and Ashford in Kent.

"If these stations are reopened, Virgin will stop in Kent."

Eurostar confirmed services have not stopped at the station since 2020, adding it had "no plans to resume stops at Kent stations".

It said: "Our current strategy is focused on serving major cities across our international network and investing in future growth, including our fleet expansion plan.

"In 2019, Ashford and Ebbsfleet accounted for just 4% of our total passengers.

"Even at peak times, Ashford saw an average of only 50 passengers per 900-seat train. Over the decade to 2019, St Pancras traffic grew by 20%, while Ashford and Ebbsfleet saw no growth.

"While these stations are not part of Eurostar's current model, future operators may reassess their role."

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