Ashford leaders demand Eurostar services return on the anniversary of their arrival

On 8 January 1996, the UK's second Eurostar station opened - Ashford International Station. It heralded a new era in international rail travel for Ashford and East Kent passengers.

Other significant milestones 29 years ago include:

• The first flip mobile phone goes on sale with over 60 million units sold
• Dolly the sheep is the first mammal to successfully be cloned from an adult cell
• Google starts indexing the web but won’t get its own domain until 1997
• AOL is named the most popular website of the year, however, only 20 million people have access to the Internet.

Its opening came after an 18-month, £80million construction project, which had started in June 1994, to transform the town's station into 'Ashford International'. Two new platforms were built for domestic trains to replace those used by Eurostar.

29 years on the group behind the ‘Bring Back Eurostar Campaign’ want to see them return, in time for its 30^th anniversary.

The group, which comprises key voices from the public and private sector, including Ashford Borough Council, Kent County Council, Kent and Medway Economic Partnership, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, Locate in Kent and Visit Kent, have been campaigning since they stopped in 2020, which Eurostar originally blamed on a combination of financial concerns and post-Brexit red tape.

Cllr Noel Ovenden, Leader of Ashford Borough Council, said: “On the 29th anniversary of Eurostar services arriving in Ashford, we are demanding their return as we begin the count down to 30 years. We will not give up. Our fight continues, and we are making a strong case to both Eurostar and the Government.

“Ashford has a station that is perfectly equipped to serve international rail passengers, with decades of significant investment in infrastructure. There is a clear and growing demand from residents and businesses across the south-east region.

“Services at Ashford International Station are vital—not only for local businesses and travellers but also for securing future commercial investments, supporting the wider tourism industry, and driving economic growth throughout the south-east. It’s time for these services to be restored.”