The ‘depressing’ little town abandoned by Eurostar once called ‘UK’s El Dorado’

The once bustling international station in Ashford has been dormant since the first lockdown, now serving as a poignant reminder of pre-pandemic times with March 2020 editions of magazines still sitting on lounge tables.

Eurostar trains have not graced the platforms of struggling stations in Ashford, Ebbsfleet or Stratford since before the pandemic, despite growing public and private calls for their reopening. A French businessman, who relocated to Ashford thirty years ago when the town was considered an “El Dorado” for European businesses, estimates his digital company has suffered losses exceeding £1m since the Eurostar station fell into disuse.

Local councillors have highlighted the loss of 30,000 jobs across Kent that the stations once provided, while locals reminisce about the days when they could easily cross the Channel for lunch in Paris or Brussels and be back home by tea time.

Now, they express frustration over the costly and ironically laborious journey to central London’s St Pancras International Station, only to pass their unused home station en route to Europe.

In response to a question from Ashford’s Labour MP Sojan Joseph in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Sir recently urged Eurostar to resume services at its deserted stations in Kent.

However, locals have expressed disappointment over Sir Keir’s statement that the decision ultimately lies with Eurostar. Residents and businesses in Ashford are calling for government intervention to pressure the company into reopening the stations, which they believe could stimulate growth in the struggling town.

A lifelong resident of Ashford, 47 year old Giles, finds it ‘crazy’ that the town’s station remains closed post-pandemic, especially considering an additional £10m was spent on signal upgrades in 2018. “Obviously the Eurostar trains should be back,” Giles said.

“It was sneaky. Nobody was thinking about it during so they killed it and haven’t brought it back.

“As soon as lockdown was over, people went, ‘Can we get the Eurostar? ’, and it was like, ‘No, it’s not there anymore’.”

Giles believes the Eurostar service was beneficial for the community, attracting visitors to the town. He said: “I would love to see somebody else come along and create some competition.”

He also criticised the waste of funds on a non-operational station, saying: “In this day and age, to spend that amount of money and not use the station… It’s crazy.”

Giles feels that the issue should be a government priority and even suggested he would protest on the Eurostar tracks if others joined him.

“I’d jump on the Eurostar tracks to protest if other people did it. It’s kind of criminal.”

Meanwhile, Steve Sitton, a Green Party representative and local business owner, highlighted the significant impact of the Eurostar’s loss on Ashford’s hospitality, hotel and taxi industries.

Mr Sitton, the proprietor of Coach Works in Ashford, has voiced his concerns about the impact of reduced European travel on local businesses. “A lot of hotels have seen a downturn in people coming over to go to Europe,” he explained.

“It has caused issues for the taxi trade as well,” he said.

“Passengers would stay the night and go out in the town centre and in the morning get the Eurostar.

“A lot of people and businesses moved here for the transport connections.”

With the underutilisation of Ashford’s international station, Mr Sitton expressed disappointment: “That resource has been taken away and it’s a real, real shame.

“The station sits there empty and it’s tragic, really.

“The government keep talking about investing, but we already have the infrastructure here – we’re just not using it.”

He questioned the rationale behind funding new projects while existing facilities remain idle: “It’s mad to put millions into new projects when we don’t use existing infrastructure.

“It’s really, really important to get it back.”

Jean-Claude Cothias, a French entrepreneur who settled in Ashford 27 years ago because of its excellent transport connections, shared how the neglect of the town’s international station has negatively impacted his digital business. “A lot of businesses in and around Ashford have been affected by Eurostar not stopping at Ashford anymore,” the 51 year old said.

“It has drastically complicated our physical connection to the continent.

“Before, it was less than two hours from Ashford to the centre of Paris.

“You could leave in the morning, do a full day of meetings and come back in the evening.

“Now, it’s impossible. You have to get a hotel, go to London and take twice the time for the journey and it costs a lot more money.

“We have lost opportunities, clients and investments [as a result of Eurostar not stopping in Ashford anymore].

“It has had a significant financial impact on us. Over the last years, in loss of revenue and opportunities, we have probably lost in the region of £1m.”

Mr Cothias voiced his frustration over the situation, urging the government to issue an ultimatum to Eurostar: either resume stops at all UK stations or allow competition. “Everyone but Eurostar wants to see [the station] opened again,” he asserted.

“Eurostar only care about their profit. I find it despicable – it’s a public service.

“It’s not only important to businesses but for investment in general.

“Ashford was a really small town with nothing – not even a cinema – 20 years ago.

“The government should step up and do something. I think it’s a very easy job to do.

“It wouldn’t cost them anything and it would send a great signal.”

Labour Councillor Diccon Spain from Ashford Borough Council (ABC), who also serves as a spokesperson for the Bring Back Euro Trains campaign, supported the push for a firm stance against Eurostar.

The 58 year old father of one reflected on the potential misstep of the UK government selling its 40% stake in Eurostar in 2015 to a consortium for £757.1m.

Spain emphasised the necessity for government action. “The government need to be driving [the reopening of the stations].

“We need them to level the playing field with incoming competitors.

“We have a huge opportunity here for growth” he concluded, highlighting the potential for economic expansion.

The Ashford railway station, unused for the last six years, is accumulating dust as platforms at Ashford, Ebbsfleet, and Stratford lay dormant.

“Six years since it was last used, the station’s gathering dust. Two platforms at Ashford, two at Ebbsfleet and two at Stratford are ready to be used,” lamented one local councillor.

“The Heathrow third runway likely won’t be viable until the 2030s – this is a viable opportunity for growth right now.” the councillor continued, expressing dismay at the waste of such an asset.

“It’s gutting to have that asset sitting there not being used.”

The potential benefits are not lost on him: “It could make a huge difference to the economy and in jobs, in particular.”

Swift action could see instant improvements, according to Cllr Spain, who advocates for decisive government intervention, possibly launching a British-owned rival to Eurostar. “You could more or less immediately relaunch it.

“I think [the government] should be thinking about these kinds of things,” noting that “30,000 jobs were lost in Kent when Eurostar pulled out.

“Whilst it’s great to hear Keir supporting the return to Ashford, the other part – that it’s up to Eurostar – was disappointing.”

Spain argues for a tougher stance: “I think they should be much more proactive and play hard-ball with Eurostar.

“If we are serious about growth, it’s right in front of us.”

Local businessman Charles Suddards, husband of Ashford’s mayor and ABC Labour councillor, has felt the economic sting firsthand after closing his sweet shop following the pandemic, partly due to the downturn that followed.

“Eurostar is to do with that. There’s massive economic and environmental reasons why it makes absolute sense to reopen the station.

“What a stupid nonsense it is that we have to go all the way to London just to pass Ashford now.”

The ongoing chaos at the Port of Dover and Channel Tunnel, with their notorious long queues and delays, has left many locals hesitant to use these routes for trips to Europe.

Cllr Suddard’s wife, Mayor Lyn Suddards, said that she hasn’t visited Paris since Eurostar ceased its service from Ashford, noting that the French capital is closer than the Midlands.

Jillian Roth, a local who relied heavily on the Eurostar when it served Ashford, expressed her disappointment: “I moved down to Kent in 2009 so I could get off to Europe,” she said. “The train used to stop here at seven in the morning. We’d go to Paris or Brussels for lunch.

“I don’t see what the problem is… It was brilliant for Ashford. It’s a real shame it’s gone.”

Wendy, another resident who has called the Ashford area home for over six decades, strongly believes the service should be reinstated: “It should be back,” she insisted.

“The station’s not derelict – it’s just empty. People were looking forward to having it here.”

She also highlighted the inconvenience of traveling to London to catch the train, which then passes by Ashford anyway, calling it a waste and pointing out the town centre’s decline: “It would be a big boost to the town to have it back.”

Local taxi driver Mike Simkins also voiced his concerns, saying that the loss of Eurostar has significantly impacted the taxi business in Ashford: “It should definitely come back,” said the 43 year old father of two, who has been an area resident for about 40 years. “The town has suffered without it.

“People from all over used to come to Ashford to get the Eurostar.”

Eurostar’s former CEO, Jacques Damas, had previously outlined how the pandemic, heightened post- border friction and escalating inflation had dashed hopes of resuming services in Kent. However, in a recent statement, Eurostar’s current CEO Gwendoline Cazenave indicated that while they will reassess their stance on the discontinued Kent stations in due course, these only catered to around four per cent of its passengers before the pandemic.

She said: “Following our constructive meeting with Kent MPs on the 3rd of February, I would like to reaffirm Eurostar’s commitment to maintaining an open and ongoing dialogue with all relevant stakeholders in Kent and Ashford.

“We value the strong relationships we have with local councils, businesses, and communities in the region and are fully aware of the expectations placed upon us. We are prioritising operational efficiency and sustainability in our main stations, ensuring that we can invest in our future and meet the growing demands of European travel.

“This includes modernising our fleet and infrastructure and addressing new competition in the market.

“It’s important to note that before , and before the merger, passengers boarding and alighting at Ashford and Ebbsfleet stations represented around 4 per cent of our overall pax volume.

“Growth was never as strong as it was from St Pancras. In fact, passenger numbers stayed relatively flat for a decade. “While our current focus is on ensuring the growth and sustainability of our core routes from London, we are committed to reviewing our position regarding the reopening of services to Ashford and Ebbsfleet in the future.

“We have made significant progress in discussions with the Department for Transport regarding infrastructure expansion at St Pancras and Temple Mills, and we remain hopeful that as we overcome capacity constraints, there will be opportunities to offer more services and connections across the Eurostar network.

“We are fully aware of the political landscape and the importance of maintaining strong ties with the communities we serve.

“I would like to reassure our partners in Kent that we will continue to evaluate all options moving forward, and we remain open to engaging with stakeholders as the situation evolves.”