There's a call for the urgent return of international services to Ashford, as a new report warns of billions of pounds in lost growth.
Eurostar trains last stopped at Ashford International in 2020 with the company offering no real hope of restoring the service.
The station could deliver up to £2.7 billion in economic growth for the South East over five years if services to Europe are restored, according to a report by the Good Growth Foundation. The report calls on the government to support reopening the station and several Kent and East Sussex MPs have backed the campaign, including Helena Dollimore, MP for Hastings and Rye.
In her column this month for Rye News, Helena Dollimore says the loss of Ashford International means more than just the trains to the people. "The impact on jobs, opportunities, tourism, and links with our European neighbours is huge. Restoring international services at Ashford is key to unlocking the economic growth that we need along the South Coast.”
Since its closure to international travel in 2020, Ashford International - which cost £80m to build and acts as a regional rail hub - has largely sat dormant.
The report, Light at the End of the Tunnel, highlights the benefits of reopening Ashford International, including increased investment, a boost for tourism, and reducing the current six-hour return journey to Brussels to two hours.
The Good Growth Foundation estimates that reopening international services would require £2 million to £3.5 million in capital investment.
Director of the Good Growth Foundation, Praful Nargund, said: “At a time when Britain is struggling with a stagnant economy, it is absurd that the international services at Ashford lie derelict. This is a ready-made opportunity to bring vibrancy and growth back to towns and coastal communities that have been left behind for too long. The government should signal its support for this project, which would generate billions for the South Coast and be a visible symbol of investment in a region battling the populist right.”
There are thought to be at least six companies looking to run trains on the high speed line after recent changes. So far, none have committed to restoring the service at Ashford International.
