𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

On December 1, 1990, applause broke out as two men from nations that had been separated by the sea since the end of the last Ice Age, and had swung between working as allies and fighting as enemies for centuries, shook hands and exchanged flags. Brit Graeme Fagg and French worker Philippe Cozette broke through a thin wall of chalk to create the Channel Tunnel, and the UK became physically linked with the continent of Europe once again. “I think that we’re definitely moving closer and closer together,” Mr Fagg said after the landmark moment. “I think we’ve got to, actually.”

Since the 1990s, the relationship between Britain and France has been less cordial, with Brexit triggering a period of tumultuous relations, which the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, says he is working to heal. But Eurostar railway services carried on travelling through the Channel Tunnel, even travelling to Brussels, where furious diplomatic battles were taking place. Then came COVID-19, which ground the services to a halt, and today, five years on from the start of the pandemic, Ashford in Kent is still without its international trains.

Mr Fagg predicted that the tunnel he worked on would be a financial success, and this has certainly proved true, as business people and tourists have taken advantage of the now integral piece of infrastructure.

Its operator, Getlink’s Eurotunnel business segment in the UK generated over £1.1billion in revenue in 2023.

However, the people of Ashford are currently without this asset and say they feel frustrated as the area has gone downhill.

Remnants of Ashford International’s Europe-bound services are still visible, including hollow hotels, the Eurostar logo still proudly displayed above the station’s southern entrance and signs guiding customers to the adjacent Ashford Designer Outlet, where more than 100 designer stores offer savings of up to 60% off on fashion brands.

Hassan Habib, 63, who has been a cabbie for 18 years, arrived in the UK in 2006 from Iran.

He tells the Express that he has to wait up to one and a half hours for fares, and no longer gets to ferry around Disneyland tourist groups.

Mr Habib also emphasises that places like Margate, Ramsgate and Folkestone, where visitors used to travel to from Ashford, have lost some income.

Kaji Limbu, 35, a taxi driver for eight years, arrived in Britain from Nepal in 2009.

He says: “We definitely want to see it back.

“It helps so much.

“We have less customers, and people are suffering, having to travel all the way to London from Kent.”

Brian Finnis, 78, a former Merchant Navy sailor, and his wife Theresa, 77, a retired stewardess, were wheeling suitcases away from the station, having just travelled from Rye to see their daughter.

“I think it’s terrible,” Mr Finnis tells the Express.

“They put all this investment into platforms and everything and it’s killed it.

“I think they should start it all up again.

“It’s crazy, really.”

He adds: “It’s a ghost station; there’s nothing going on at all.

“I can’t see why they invested it all.”

Viv Martin, 68, an exam invigilator from Tunbridge Wells, also exiting the Eurostar side of the station, says: “It would be handy to have them back.

“It’s a great shame.

“I used to go over to France in the summer using a local train, then the Eurostar and then a local train in France.

“Now I’m having to go into London and out again.

“I certainly would go to France a lot more if it were still available.”

Paul Maple, 60, who owns a care home, says: “It’s a real shame.

“I’ve used it in the past.

“It’s a nice quick way to get to France, especially if you’ve got kids and you’re going to Euro Disney.

“It was always good.”

He adds: “It’s a shame for the economy, for Ashford and the surrounding areas.

“It’s a real shame.”

As well as throwing a spanner in the works of locals’ travel plans, residents said that it has had an impact on the prosperity of the town as a whole, exacerbating nationwide storms such as inflation, a lack of footfall and high rents.

The town’s Odeon cinema has stood empty for years.

In 2019, a request by the Cinema Theatre Association to have it listed was rejected by the Government as it did not meet the relevant criteria.

In 2024, Ashford Council said it would give residents a chance to have their say on a rejuvenation scheme, a mixed-use development, aiming to deliver new cultural space with a food and drink offer, and around 230 homes, for an area of the town centre that includes the former cinema and the Vicarage Lane car park.

At the junction of Park Mall, North Street and High Street stands an empty unit, with pigeons nesting above its windows.

Danny Latter, 77, a retired inspector of works on the railways, says in the high street: “One hundred per cent it’s affected the whole town.

“People came to stay here, all the hotels are suffering.

“[Now the station] doesn’t bring anybody in at all.”

He adds: “It’s not bringing any trade or anything into the town… there’s nothing here.

“The whole town, it’s gone downhill.”

Christine Watson, 85, says of the international station: “It’s bloody useless, considering it was built for the purpose.”

She adds: “We used to have a lot of French people come over; they don’t come now.

“The town’s dead now.

“All we’ve got are nail bars and hairdressers.”

The former hairdresser and care worker says the Eurostar boosted the town, and there was a French market.

“They can’t come now,” she adds.

Isobelle Lane, 20, a student in Winchester from Reading, says while walking in the street with her fiancé, Charles Procyshyn, 21, who grew up in Ashford: “It’s the first time we’ve been in the centre for a long time, and we were just saying how much it’s changed.

“It used to be really lively.”

She adds: “This is such a lovely town, and a lot of it has been taken away.

“But we don’t have anything here that would draw people in.

“If the Eurostar stopped here, there would be cause for people to stay overnight, eat out, all those things, and it would bring that liveliness back to the town.”

Mr Procyshyn says: “You look around here now and loads of places have closed down.

“There’s quite a lot of derelict buildings, and you need the boost from the people coming in.”

But some independent businesses survive.

Geoffrey Mathews, 73, has owned Soundcraft Hi-Fi for 50 years, having taken over the enterprise from his father, a photographer for the RAF during World War 2, who set up shop in 1947 using the £500 provided to him upon being demobilised.

The axing of Eurostar services is another one of Ashford’s many problems, Mr Mathews says, standing next to the array of speakers, turntables and stereos displayed on his business’s shelves.

“I would like to relocate from the high street,” he adds.

“It’s become quite an alien environment.

“We’ve seen an exodus of businesses like Marks and Spencer, who have gone to food halls out of town, Specsavers, Argos and even Timpsons have opened in Sainsbury’s and Tesco because that’s where the footfall is.”

Mr Mathews says these shops brought customers to smaller stores like his, with the Designer Outlet also having a negative effect.

“They’ve got spirits, beer and restaurants there now,” he adds.

“There’s no reason for anyone to come to the high street anymore.”

Ashford used to be a natural stop-off point for travellers going to or from Paris or Brussels, the businessman says.

“I think it’s been tragic for the town,” Mr Mathews adds.

“Ashford is very much in decline.”

Kent County Council emphasises that forecasts by the Good Growth Foundation show that restoring Eurostar services in the county could attract up to 493,000 new visitors, generate £315million in spending and bring as much as £2.67billion into the UK economy over five years.

“This is a critical opportunity that Kent and the UK cannot afford to miss,” the authority says.

It adds: “Bringing back international rail services to Ashford and Ebbsfleet isn’t just about making travel easier, it’s about unlocking serious economic potential.

“It means faster access to European markets, stronger trade links, and a more attractive environment for investment.

“The infrastructure is ready, the demand is real, and the benefits are clear: thousands of new jobs for Kent and hundreds of millions of pounds added to the UK economy.”

There is a spark of hope, as Eurostar tells this newspaper that its Kent stations will remain closed throughout 2025, but will be reviewed in 2026.

There is also talk of more services to Frankfurt in Germany and Geneva in Switzerland.

A spokesperson adds: “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.”

The Leader of Ashford Council, Councillor Noel Ovenden, says Ashford International stands ready for the return of trade, jobs and tourism.

He adds: “Over 25 years of significant investment has ensured Ashford International remains ready, keeping alive the opportunity to support European travel.

“Delivering on international services by re-opening this gateway to Europe holds the key to unlocking the benefits of that investment, not just in Ashford, but for the whole of Kent, wider south east region and the UK economy.”

The council believes that lack of Eurostar services at Ashford International has impacted the numbers of visitors to the area, including the town centre and Designer Outlet, with a Good Growth Foundation report suggesting this represents at least 197,000 fewer visitors and £126million lost visitor spend every year.