On 8 January 1996, the UK's second Eurostar station opened - Ashford International Station. 29 years ago, it heralded a new era in international rail travel for Ashford and East Kent passengers.
Its opening came after an 18-month, £80million construction project, which had started in June 1994, to transform the town's station into 'Ashford International'. Two new platforms were built for domestic trains to replace those used by Eurostar.
We are now demanding their return as we begin the count down to the 30-year anniversary. Our fight continues, and we are making a strong case to both Eurostar and the Government.
Ashford has a station that is perfectly equipped to serve international rail passengers, with decades of significant investment in infrastructure. There is a clear and growing demand from residents and businesses across the south-east region.
Services at Ashford International Station are vital—not only for local businesses and travellers but also for securing future commercial investments, supporting the wider tourism industry, and driving economic growth throughout the south-east.
The more we can bang the drum, the more noise we make, the harder we are to ignore. A residents’ petition, has over 60k signatures, and a survey with around 500 businesses across the southeast shows a strong interest for their return.
For more information on the Bring Back Eurostar campaign visit:
https://www.ashford.gov.uk/eurostar or https://bringbackeurotrains.com/
