Locals of a once-picturesque English town say their area has fallen into decline due to the prolonged closure of the Eurostar terminal. The vital transport link and economic draw shut in Ashford during the Covid pandemic and has not been reopened, angering residents who complain their town is now becoming disadvantaged as a result.
Despite 23,000 people signing a petition to reinstate the terminal, there are no plans to reopen it three years on.
The now derelict rail hub stands in the town like an unsightly white elephant according to locals, who claim that businesses and new residents had moved to the area because of the international rail links are now left high and dry.
Ashford resident Janet Halliburton said: “Walking through the railway station, it’s so sad and empty.
“When I used to work in London, there were always several hundred small children going to Disneyland and the hotels were always full.”
“Businesses have moved to Ashford because of its international links, but now there aren’t any, they must be going out of their mind.
“Ashford is destroyed. I moved here 27 years ago, and I have just watched it slowly decline.
“Nobody wants to drive to Gatwick to get a flight to the continent when they could just as easily get a train.
“We have this facility and it’s outrageous we can’t use it.”
Such is the anger amongst local people, around 30 have launched a Bring Back Eurostar Group, in the hope to drawing the service back to the town.
Monica Nash, part of the group, said: “We used to use it for days out over to Europe and for holidays.
“Before lockdown, I could have got on at Ashford and I could have gone all the way to Lille.
“Flying is an option but it is not environmentally friendly and I think a lot of people now will use it who didn’t before for that reason.”
