Our Man in Westminster – Make Ashford International ‘International’ Again

Last week, on Thursday 30th October the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) announced they would be giving Virgin Rail access to the Temple Mills Depot. This is a major step towards potentially returning services to Ashford International as Eurostar’s almost 30-year monopoly on European rail services has been broken up. The Rail Minister’s strong statement following the decision, reiterating the Government’s support for the campaign to bring international rail back to our station, gives us all a reason to be hopeful that in the long-term. We have a genuine reason to be optimistic after last week’s announcement – with Virgin indicating they will stop at Ashford if the station becomes operational again. This will be good for the local economy, jobs, and tourism – giving our community a real boost.

There are still some hurdles to overcome – Virgin needs to order new trains to operate on the Channel Tunnel, and infrastructure needs to be upgraded at the station – especially for border checks. However, as we rebuild and renegotiate our relationship with Europe, many of the unnecessary barriers, caused by the Tories’ botched, paper-thin deal will be removed.

I know just how damaging the loss of international rail services have been for our community. A study by Kent County Council in 2023 reported the number of businesses that had been affected or had concerns over the loss of European travel equated to around 30,000 jobs, the equivalent to c.£750m of GVA to the national economy. However, the opportunities for the operators and regional economic potential are clear – this is the case we need to continue to make: it will be good for business, consumers, and for growth. A study by the Good Growth Foundation – ‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’ – found that £2.7bn could be injected into the visitor economy over the next five years with the return of international rail services to Ashford.

I can assure you that I will continue to work with Virgin, local agencies, other MPs, local campaign groups, both Ashford and the County council, the media, and the Labour Government – all of whom have been crucial in the campaign so far.

We must seize this opportunity and make Ashford International ‘international’ again.