There is some hope of a revival if a Eurostar review is in the town’s favour and Virgin Trains get to run
The commuter town of Ashford was a ‘lively town’ when it was a major hub for Eurostar services, but the trains stopped running in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and have not resumed, leaving residents and business owners frustrated as the area of Kent is ‘very much in decline’. It is estimated the town is losing £126million every year from the loss of visitors.
While there is a glimmer of hope with Eurostar set to review the future of Ashford International Station in 2026 and Virgin Trains getting permission to run trains through the Channel Tunnel, residents fear it will take a lot to revive the town which has previously been attractive to Londoners looking to move out of the hustle and bustle of city life. Ashford is just 35 minutes away from St Pancras International via a Southeastern train or a 50 minute drive to Orpington in the South East corner of the capital.
Evidence of Ashford International’s former European connections remains visible throughout the town, with empty hotels, the Eurostar logo still prominently displayed above the station’s southern entrance, and signage directing travellers to the nearby Ashford Designer Outlet, home to over 100 designer shops offering discounts of up to 60 per cent on fashion labels.
Hassan Habib, 63, who has worked as a taxi driver for 18 years, came to the UK from Iran in 2006. He says that he now waits up to an hour and a half for fares, and no longer transports Disneyland tourist groups, reports the Express. Mr Habib also points out that destinations such as Margate, Ramsgate and Folkestone, where visitors previously travelled to from Ashford, have experienced a drop in revenue.
Kaji Limbu, 35, who has been driving taxis for eight years, came to Britain from Nepal in 2009. He says: “We definitely want to see it back. It helps so much. We have less customers, and people are suffering, having to travel all the way to London from Kent.”
‘This is such a lovely town and a lot of it has been taken away’
Isobelle Lane, 20, a student in Winchester from Reading, says while walking in the street with her fiancé, Charles Procyshyn, 21, who grew up in Ashford: “It’s the first time we’ve been in the centre for a long time, and we were just saying how much it’s changed. It used to be really lively.”
She adds: “This is such a lovely town, and a lot of it has been taken away. But we don’t have anything here that would draw people in. If the Eurostar stopped here, there would be cause for people to stay overnight, eat out, all those things, and it would bring that liveliness back to the town.”
Mr Procyshyn says: “You look around here now and loads of places have closed down. There’s quite a lot of derelict buildings, and you need the boost from the people coming in.”
Brian Finnis, 78, a former Merchant Navy sailor, and his wife Theresa, 77, a retired stewardess, were pulling suitcases from the station, having just travelled from Rye to visit their daughter. “I think it’s terrible,” Mr Finnis said.
“They put all this investment into platforms and everything and it’s killed it. I think they should start it all up again. It’s crazy, really.” He adds: “It’s a ghost station; there’s nothing going on at all. can’t see why they invested it all.”
Viv Martin, 68, an exam invigilator from Tunbridge Wells, also leaving the Eurostar section of the station, says: “It would be handy to have them back. It’s a great shame. I used to go over to France in the summer using a local train, then the Eurostar and then a local train in France. Now I’m having to go into London and out again. I certainly would go to France a lot more if it were still available.”
Paul Maple, 60, who runs a care home, says: “It’s a real shame. I’ve used it in the past. It’s a nice quick way to get to France, especially if you’ve got kids and you’re going to Euro Disney. It was always good.”
He adds: “It’s a shame for the economy, for Ashford and the surrounding areas. It’s a real shame.”
The closure has not only disrupted residents’ journeys but has also impacted the town’s broader economic health, compounding nationwide issues such as inflation, declining high street footfall and rising rental prices. The town’s Odeon cinema has stood empty for years. In 2019, the Government turned down the Cinema Theatre Association’s application for listed status, determining it didn’t meet the required criteria.
In 2024, Ashford Council unveiled proposals to revitalise part of the town centre, encompassing the former cinema and Vicarage Lane car park. The planned mixed-use scheme would deliver new cultural facilities, dining and drinking venues, and around 230 residential properties. A vacant unit sits at the corner of Park Mall, North Street and High Street, with pigeons roosting above its windows.
Danny Latter, 77, a retired railway inspector, reckons the circumstances have profoundly affected the town. “One hundred per cent it’s affected the whole town,” he said. “People came to stay here, all the hotels are suffering. [Now the station] doesn’t bring anybody in at all.”
He added: “It’s not bringing any trade or anything into the town… there’s nothing here. The whole town, it’s gone downhill.”
Christine Watson, 85, criticised the international station, saying: “It’s bloody useless, considering it was built for the purpose.” She continued: “We used to have a lot of French people come over; they don’t come now. The town’s dead now. All we’ve got are nail bars and hairdressers.”
The former hairdresser and care worker remembered how the Eurostar previously energised the town and attracted a French market. “They can’t come now,” she added.
But some independent businesses survive. Geoffrey Mathews, 73, has owned Soundcraft Hi-Fi for 50 years, having taken over the enterprise from his father, a photographer for the RAF during World War 2, who set up shop in 1947 using the £500 provided to him upon being demobilised.
The axing of Eurostar services is another one of Ashford’s many problems, Mr Mathews says, standing next to the array of speakers, turntables and stereos displayed on his business’s shelves. “I would like to relocate from the high street,” he adds. “It’s become quite an alien environment.
“We’ve seen an exodus of businesses like Marks and Spencer, who have gone to food halls out of town, Specsavers, Argos and even Timpsons have opened in Sainsbury’s and Tesco because that’s where the footfall is.”
Mr Mathews says these shops brought customers to smaller stores like his, with the Designer Outlet also having a negative effect. “They’ve got spirits, beer and restaurants there now,” he adds. “There’s no reason for anyone to come to the high street anymore.”
Ashford used to be a natural stop-off point for travellers going to or from Paris or Brussels, the businessman says. “I think it’s been tragic for the town,” Mr Mathews adds. “Ashford is very much in decline.”
Kent County Council emphasises that forecasts by the Good Growth Foundation show that restoring Eurostar services in the county could attract up to 493,000 new visitors, generate £315million in spending and bring as much as £2.67billion into the UK economy over five years.
“This is a critical opportunity that Kent and the UK cannot afford to miss,” the authority says. It adds: “Bringing back international rail services to Ashford and Ebbsfleet isn’t just about making travel easier, it’s about unlocking serious economic potential.
“It means faster access to European markets, stronger trade links, and a more attractive environment for investment. The infrastructure is ready, the demand is real, and the benefits are clear: thousands of new jobs for Kent and hundreds of millions of pounds added to the UK economy.”
Glimmer of hope for the future
There is a spark of hope, as Eurostar it will review the future of its Kent stations in 2026. There is also talk of more services to Frankfurt in Germany and Geneva in Switzerland. A spokesperson adds: “We understand that this may be frustrating, and we want to stress that we are closely monitoring the situation and, should there be any changes, we will provide an update.”
There is also the potential for Virgin Trains to run through Ashford International in the future. Sir Richard Branson’s hopes of introducing the UK’s first direct train services to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport have overcome their main barrier to launching international services through the Channel Tunnel after regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) granted access to Virgin Trains to share Eurostar’s Temple Mills depot in East London to maintain and store trains..
Sir Richard Branson’s company said it is focused on running trains between London’s St Pancras station and the city centres of Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam in 2030, but is in discussions with France’s busiest airport about the possibility of new services there. Virgin Trains plans to run services between St Pancras and the same stations in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam used by Eurostar, and it has “ambitions” to expand “further across France, and into Germany and Switzerland”.
The company added: “If either Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International station are reopened in Kent, then Virgin will stop there, and it is working with Kent County Council and other local stakeholders to explore how to make this happen.”
The Leader of Ashford Council, Councillor Noel Ovenden, says Ashford International stands ready for the return of trade, jobs and tourism. He adds: “Over 25 years of significant investment has ensured Ashford International remains ready, keeping alive the opportunity to support European travel.
“Delivering on international services by reopening this gateway to Europe holds the key to unlocking the benefits of that investment, not just in Ashford, but for the whole of Kent, wider south east region and the UK economy.”
The council believes that lack of Eurostar services at Ashford International has impacted the numbers of visitors to the area, including the town centre and Designer Outlet, with a Good Growth Foundation report suggesting this represents at least 197,000 fewer visitors and £126million lost visitor spend every year.
A spokesperson for the local authority adds: “The town centre in Ashford faces the same challenges there are nationally, but undoubtedly the lack of in and out bound tourists has had a key impact. Commercial investment in the Curious Brewery and Hampton by Hilton hotel, both opposite the International Station, shows the positive impact that international services have had in the past.
“The council has invested significantly to revitalise Ashford Town Centre including taking over running of the local independent cinema (The Ashford Cinema), expanding the popular Kent Food and Creative Makers Market, the installation of the brand-new train themed play equipment, and ongoing grants for new businesses opening in empty shops.”
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