Kent council urges residents to fill in survey to bring back Eurostar stops at Ashford and Ebbsfleet

Five years without a direct train to Europe. That’s what Kent passengers have been dealing with since Eurostar pulled out of Ashford and Ebbsfleet in 2020 — and the council wants residents to help make the case for getting those services back.

The survey, put together by local campaign group Bring Back Euro Trains, takes about three minutes and asks where you’d travel from, where you’d go, and how often you’d use an international service. Nearly 14,000 people have already registered their interest, but KCC says it needs more to persuade operators there’s a commercially viable market. Rail companies, it turns out, aren’t easily moved by enthusiasm alone.

Linden Kemkaran, Leader of Kent County Council, said: “Kent has always been the UK’s gateway to Europe. It is not right that residents, businesses and visitors have been denied direct access to international rail services from Ashford and Ebbsfleet for more than five years. There is now a real opportunity to bring back services if operators see a strong and sustainable market.”

The council’s argument is straightforward. Without hard evidence of demand, operators won’t stop here. And without stops here, passengers face the trek to St Pancras. The survey is open to anyone who’d use the service — work trips, holidays, family visits, education, business — so the ask is a broad one.

KCC describes the effort as a joint push between the council, its partners and Bring Back Euro Trains.

Key information

• The Bring Back Euro Trains survey takes around three minutes to complete
• The survey asks for your preferred departure point, destination, and how often you would travel
• Almost 14,000 people have already registered interest — KCC is urging more to take part
• The survey is open to anyone who would use international rail from Ashford or Ebbsfleet for any purpose, including work, holidays, education or family visits