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Richard Brown’s visit leaves questions unanswered

July 31 2007 in Uncategorized by Admin

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Thursday 26th

July Edith Robson (a leading organiser of the campaign to save Ashford International Station) writes;

Today, Mr Richard Brown of Eurostar came to Ashford International station (I assume) to talk to a select few of which I am not one. Only the ’stakeholders’ were invited but not the passengers themselves. The cessation of Ashford-Brussels trains in November would appear to be a fait accompli as far as Eurostar is concerned. The decision, they say, has been a commercial one based (amongst other things) upon the data base of one million plus passengers which tells Eurostar where people live and therefore where they would like to travel from.

Ebbsfleet “horrendous to get to”

They (Eurostar) didn’t feel the need to ask the passengers themselves or consult them in advance. Their adverts for St Pancras station - “Less fuss, more ease” - are all about convenience yet they refuse to believe what people say about Ebbsfleet, that it is horrendous to get to. However, Eurostar will monitor the situation and may revise it in a year, they say. I wonder whether they will ask the passengers in this time. Ebbsfleet has a catchment area of over ten million people, they say, (about 20% of the UK population) therefore that is a better place to stop than Ashford. As far as I can see from looking at the timetable, Ebbsfleet has just been given the Ashford stops.

We were told at the Kent County Council meeting two weeks ago that 8/9 minutes stopping at Ashford (an intermediate stop) would unfairly inconvenience the city to city travellers. Obviously the same is not felt about Ebbsfleet which is also an intermediate stop. I asked Simon Montague today (as I stood outside asking why passengers were not invited) how much it costs to stop a train at Ashford. He said £1.million for a year. When I asked whether they would reconsider if a million pounds were made available, he said they would have to consider it.

Some of Ashford’s 500,000 passengers have said they would be prepared to pay a premium in order to be able to continue to use this station. Even an extra £10 could work out cheaper than extra fuel costs incurred driving to Ebbsfleet not to mention the unacceptable costs in time and increased stress as well as parking there for £11.50 per day.

Brussels to become quicker from York than Ashford

I personally think it would be well worth it to avoid having to take the train to Maidstone East, walk to Maidstone Barracks, train to Strood, another to Dartford, then the fast track bus to Ebbsfleet with a total journey time of five hours instead of two. From November, it will be quicker and easier to travel to Brussels from

York than from Ashford. Unless you drive to Ebbsfleet, it will be impossible to get to Brussels in time for a 10.00am meeting as you can do now. I have suggested that Ebbsfleet is not accessible to disabled passengers who cannot drive. The response was to take a taxi. My quote from a local firm was £70. And what of the folk who come from France and Belgium? And what of the folk who come from France and Belgium? They have no car awaiting them at Ebbsfleet. Could they cope with the reverse of the bus/train /walk journey? Worse still, will they unknowingly take a taxi and be faced with an astronomical bill? Mr Montague said that Eurostar is a commercial venture. However, it is also a monopoly. Even after 2010 the same will be true as there are no other European trains with a high enough safety specification to go through the tunnel. (What new company would be able to afford to build them?). This being so, why do passengers not have some sort of statutory right of access?

Where do we go from here? Eurostar is obviously not listening to us. I think we have a strong case to put to Government based on the following;

- The choice of route was based on regeneration

- The amount of money the taxpayer needs to pay in subsidies and a £4 billion tab to pick up in all likelihood

- Ashford is the Government’s chosen growth area.

- Environmental issues

- The Dartford area is almost at gridlock, why add to it?

Please send your comments in to the website.

Why We're Here

Eurostar, the international train company, will end all direct Ashford to Brussels services from 19th November 2007 when they open a new station at Ebbsfleet, some 35 miles away. We, as regular Eurostar passengers, wish to help save Eurostar from a decision that will undermine their existing customer base and their reputation.