Business leaders want Eurostar return amid new trains

Business leaders in Kent are calling for Eurostar stops at stations in the county to be reinstated after the company invested in 50 new trains.

Rail services linking the UK to Europe have not stopped at Ashford or Ebbsfleet since March 2020.

The Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce said Eurostar was prioritising profit over the economic support of the county.

Eurostar has said its Kent stations would remain closed throughout 2024.

The rail company has previously cited financial factors and the post-Brexit border situation as reasons for the Kent services not being immediately restored.

The new fleet will ensure there is capacity for 30 million passengers a year by 2030, the firm added.

Tudor Price, the chief executive of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, said the private sector invested heavily in the area on the basis there would be an international service.

“They tore up most of the Kent countryside and huge investments have been made,” he told BBC Radio Kent.

“We understand the business strategy – it’s just not one that favours Kent.”

Meanwhile, Mike Bridges, of the Broadstairs Tourism and Leisure Association, said: “It’s such a shame - £50m on new trains, 30 million passengers predicted and none of them stopping in Kent.

“We’ve seven sandy bays in Broadstairs and it’s a shame a lot of our European visitors bypass us.”

A Eurostar spokesman said: “We understand this is disappointing for the local communities, and we will continue to work closely and openly with the local councils on the future of the stations."

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