Many of you will have seen the news recently that Eurostar has confirmed that their services will not resume at Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International this year or in 2023. There have also been reports that no commitment will be made for another two to three years as to when services may resume at these stations.

International rai services offer an environmentally friendlier alternative to travelling by air and road many local people find Ashford, as well as Ebbsfleet, popular and convenient stations to travel to mainland Europe from. Through these station stops, Eurostar has played a significant role in the economic prosperity of Kent and the surrounding South East and the decision not to resume services will have a knock-on effect to the regional economy in addition to the loss of choice for individual travellers.

Following this decision, I wrote to the Chief Executive of Eurostar, Jacques Damas, to try to better understand that challenges that led Eurostar to reach this decision. You can read Mr Damas' response in the attachment below this post.