Back to Category: BBET Campaign

FS / Trenitalia woo Ashford

Published: 14 October, 2025 | Tags: ,

BBET welcomes a new pledge by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) / Trenitalia to reopen Ashford International station to international high-speed rail services. They made the announcement in the Sunday Times two days ago (Sunday 12th October). It has been taken up by Kent Online.

The proposal includes a planned investment of up to £1 billion into the UK economy, the re-establishment of Ashford as an intermediate stop for new London-Paris services commencing in 2029, and the creation of an international “Innovation Hub” inside Ashford station as early as 2026.

BBET understands that this decision has come about as a direct consequence of our discussions with Ernesto Sicilia MD of Trenitalia UK last week. Delegates from FS also admitted they were impressed by Ashford’s international terminal, which they visited for the first time last month for KCC’s Grow in Kent event.

This announcement comes as the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) prepares to allocate space in the Temple Mills maintenance depot. Their decision will have profound consequences on UK international rail travel long into the future. FS / Trenitalia have said they are confident of their bid, claiming that they are the best competitor to provide a credible alternative to Eurostar.

FS already hold the necessary accreditation for operating on the European continent. They also own trains that can operate in tunnels, although they would require some modification for the Channel Tunnel. They have new trains already in the pipeline, whereas their competitors have yet to place orders.

Delighted reaction from BBET

BBET’s Diccon Spain said: “This is a game-changing moment. While BBET’s objective is to see both of Kent’s international stations reopened and we support efforts by other operators to serve Ebbsfleet, this is the first time an operator has made such a definite, public commitment to bringing services back to Ashford on day one of their operations. This is a huge step up. It’s critical that the community’s voice is now heard in support of the only concrete promise made to bring back international rail services to Ashford.”

Our campaign has helped place the issue in the public eye. The continued success of our petition has kept it there. We therefore take some credit for the commitment shown by some of the new operators to use the stations in Kent.

We urge the ORR to make a decision that benefits Kent as well as the wider UK.