NOW IS THE TIME FOR EUROSTAR TO RETURN TO KENT

It is now about 4 years, since Eurostar stopped serving Ashford and Ebbsfleet. After a few difficult years due to Covid, Eurostar have recently announced “healthy profits”, increasing passenger numbers and an order for new trains. 2024 could be the ideal opportunity to re-launch these services to co-incide with the 30th anniversary of rail services through the Channel Tunnel. Yet, Eurostar still have no plans to re-instate these services either in 2024 or 2025. People in Kent will still have to travel back to and from London and pay the extra fare to Southeastern trains. As Eurostar can issue cheap add-on tickets to/from any station in Belgium, surely, they could do the same to/from any station in Kent? See here for some more details about the extra trains to be ordered: –

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/2024/05/21/eurostar-to-expand-fleet-after-strong-financial-results?utm_campaign=RAIL_weekly_newsletter_22_05_24&utm_content=RAIL%20-%20Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_term=Eurostar%20to%20expand%20fleet%20after%20strong%20financial%20results&utm_medium=email&utm_source=adestra

At the very least they should now offer a free or reduced add-on fare from Kent stations to/from London St Pancras International.

While St Pancras is already very overcrowded, will we have to wait until one of their competitors launches a service from the empty platforms at Ashford, Ebbsfleet or Stratford? See here for some recent reporting in the Kent Mail:

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/threat-from-rivals-boost-chances-of-eurostar-bringing-back-307899/