Eurostar services will not stop in Kent this year, it has been confirmed.
The high-speed train operator connecting the UK to the continent halted services to the Kent stations of Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International during the pandemic and has not resumed them since, to the frustration of passengers.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “keen to see international services reinstated to Ashford as soon as possible”.
He added: “I know this is an issue of considerable frustration to his (the local MP) constituents [but] the decision in question is ultimately for Eurostar.”
Sir Keir was responding to Ashford MP Sojan Joseph who said that businesses in the town had been “badly let down” by the Conservatives.
Kent residents travelling to the continent on Eurostar must first travel to London to board the train.
A petition calling for Eurostar to resume the services has attracted more than 60,000 signatures.
A statement from Eurostar said: “Our Kent stations will remain closed throughout 2025 and will be reviewed in 2026.
”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.
“We recognise the importance of these stations to the local communities, and we remain fully committed to the future of rail connectivity and continue to work transparently with local councils and stakeholders.”
The news comes weeks after Eurostar was named the worst-performing train operator in Europe.
A study by Transport & Environment, a European campaign group advocating for clean transport and energy, ranked 27 operators across the continent, assessing them on eight categories such as booking experience, ticket prices, reliability and compensation, all with different weights contributing towards an overall score.
Eurostar was criticised for its high ticket prices and reliability of services.
