Eurostar services may not stop in Kent before 2025

Eurostar has announced its services may not stop in Kent again until 2025.

The company's trains have not called at Ashford or Ebbsfleet since March 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The operator said it understood this would be disappointing for local communities.

Ashford Borough Council's leader described the decision as a "real challenge" for the community and said he would continue to push for services to be resumed.

Eurostar confirmed services carrying passengers between London St Pancras and Europe via the Channel Tunnel would not stop at the two Kent stations during 2023.

It added it would not be able to "make any commitment for another two to three years".

Eurostar cited financial factors and the post-Brexit border situation, with the EU's entry/exit system due to be in place by the end of May 2023 expected to add "further complexity".

A Eurostar spokesman said: "Whilst we continue to operate in an uncertain and fragile environment, we must focus on our most profitable inter-capital routes to enable us to meet our financial commitments, stabilise our operation and our customer experience, before considering any further developments."

Gerry Clarkson, leader of Ashford Borough Council said: "Ashford is an important economic driver for not only Kent 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 Ashford International 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."

Eurostar said the company would continue to work closely and openly with the local councils on the future of the stations.

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