Our passenger demand mandate
Cross-Channel rail is expanding. With new operators like Trenitalia, Virgin and Eurostar preparing to add capacity for 11 million extra passengers by 2035, the future of the network is being drawn up right now. We need to prove that Ashford… Read More >
Smoke test counter test
Below there should be the embed: Join … passengers who have already registered their demand.
Senator questions French Minister for Transport about suspension of intermediate train stops
The issue of the suspended intermediate Eurostar stops has now reached the French Senate. On 30 April 2026, French Senator Sophie Briante Guillemont formally questioned the French Minister of Transport on the five-year suspension of services at Ashford International, Ebbsfleet… Read More >
An invitation to French nationals
Thursday, 30th April 2026, at 5:30 pmInternational House, Ashford Kent is home to a sizeable French community, many of whom arrived and settled with the start of international train services to France. French Senator Olivier Cadic was one of those… Read More >
Any further UK investment in depot space should come with conditions
Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar’s CEO, went on the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning to bemoan the lack of investment in depot space at Temple Mills. Listen to a clip here (©BBC 2026): The background to this is Eurostar’s stated… Read More >
Kent stations: Ashford or Ebbsfleet?
In this campaign, we have tirelessly advocated for the re-opening of both Ashford and Ebbsfleet as international stations. Both will benefit different parts of the south east region, both are networked as railway hubs in different ways. And while there… Read More >
Looking ahead to 2026
Heading into 2026, Ashford’s MP Sojan Joseph has said that returning international train services to Ashford is his top priority. Naturally, we we welcome the sentiment; we are optimistic that trains will return, only we don’t know when. The MP’s… Read More >
Trenitalia forge ahead with Channel Tunnel plans
Trenitalia have announced plans to launch a Paris-London service by 2029, significantly ahead of Virgin Trains Europe. Articles have appeared in The Telegraph and The Connexion explaining that the Italian state railway FS Group, which own Trenitalia, has received a… Read More >
A week on from the ORR’s decision on Temple Mills, what have we learnt?
A week has elapsed since the ORR’s decision to allocate the space capacity in the Temple Mills to Virgin Trains Europe. Virgin won out over Eurostar and three other operators vying to launch a rival cross-Channel train service. What have… Read More >
Eurostar told to move over and allow competition
In a historic and much-anticipated move, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has allocated the spare capacity at the Temple Mill depot to Virgin Trains Europe. This opens the way for Virgin to start running a rival international train… Read More >