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Petition to return Eurostar services to Kent sees positive momentum

As life has returned to normal following the pandemic, people living in and around [1] England have been left without connectivity to Europe, which was formerly available pre-Covid.

As the [2] virus took hold, essential measures were put in place across the country, including one which saw [3] train services from [4], which called at Ebbsfleet and Ashford in [5] put on hold.

The two state-of-the-art International stations provided a fantastic and convenient service to [6], Brussels, and further afield without the need to travel to [7].

Today those living South of London are forced to travel into the capital in order to reach Europe by , be it for business or leisure purposes. Given that environmentally friendly travel is a key focus of railways, surely it is time to return the formerly successful Eurostar services to these stations and prevent needless travel and emissions into London.[8][9]

To sign the Bring Back Eurostar petition, please click here[10].

Anyone who wishes to get involved with the campaign in any way can get in touch by email: [email protected][11].

Eurostar
Eurostar // Credit: Rail Europe

A spokesperson for Ashford Borough Council said:

“The services at [12] Station are not only important for existing businesses and travellers, they are also important for our future commercial investments.”

“There was a public outcry when Eurostar made their initial announcement and the local strength of feeling is clearly reflected by recent meetings and the petition that has been launched, which we welcome.”

“The prospect that Eurostar are not likely to return anytime soon represents a real challenge for those residents and businesses that rely on the service and those that work locally. Ashford is an important economic driver for not only [13] and the East Kent region but also an important international access point to Europe.”

“Significant investment has been made over the last 25 years in infrastructure at [14] Station to ensure international services are able to operate to support business and leisure travel to Europe, so it is imperative that the benefits of this investment are realised through services being returned to support the economy of Kent and the UK.”

“We are in regular dialogue with Eurostar, and we will continue to work with partners, including Kent County Council, our MP Damian Green, Government and High-Speed One, to ensure services at Ashford International Station return.”

“We will not give up on this and will continue to make the case for their return as soon as it’s commercially viable. International rail services provide an alternative to travelling by road or air. Not only is it a much more sustainable mode of transport, it also makes sense from an economical point of view too.”

“With the valuable support of local residents, we will continue our fight and call on the Government to intervene in order to maintain the prosperity of the borough and indeed the wider East Kent region.”

References

  1. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  2. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  3. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  4. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  5. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  6. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  7. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  8. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  9. ^ Given that environmentally friendly travel is a key focus of railways, surely it is time to return the formerly successful Eurostar services to these stations and prevent needless travel and emissions into London. (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  10. ^ here (www.change.org)
  11. ^ [email protected] (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  12. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  13. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)
  14. ^ (www.railadvent.co.uk)

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