Ashford International railway station
General information | |
---|---|
Location | Ashford, Borough of Ashford, Kent, England |
Coordinates | 51°08′37″N 0°52′30″E / 51.1435°N 0.8750°E |
Grid reference | TR011421 |
Managed by | Southeastern (HS1 Ltd for international services) |
Platforms | 6 |
Other information | |
Station code | AFK (ASI for Eurostar services) |
Classification | DfT category B |
Key dates | |
1 December 1842 | Opened as "Ashford" |
9 July 1923 | Renamed "Ashford (Kent)" |
8 January 1996 | Commencement of Eurostar services |
28 February 1996 | Rebuilt and renamed "Ashford International" |
13 December 2009 | Commencement of High Speed 1 domestic services |
September 2020 | Eurostar services suspended |
Passengers | |
2018/19 | 4.103 million |
Interchange | 0.907 million |
2019/20 | 4.021 million |
Interchange | 0.876 million |
2020/21 | 1.064 million |
Interchange | 0.197 million |
2021/22 | 2.657 million |
Interchange | 0.522 million |
2022/23 | 3.247 million |
Interchange | 0.837 million |
Notes | |
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road |
Ashford International railway station is a
The station opened in 1842 as Ashford by the
Location and services
The station is to the southeast of the town centre at the convergence of several important lines. These are
The station has six platforms. Eurostar trains have previously used platforms 3 and 4, while domestic trains use the original platforms 1 and 2, and a new
There are ticket office windows in the domestic booking hall, as well as ticket vending machines.[5] There has been a domestic ticket office window in the Eurostar station, staffed during morning peak only. The international ticket counter in the Eurostar station was only staffed for part of the day.[6] The international terminal is connected to a multi-storey car park by a footbridge, while other parking facilities are adjacent to the domestic entrance.[7]
History
South Eastern Railway
The station was built by the
The original station consisted of two platforms with two through lines, along with wooden buildings. The line ended at Ashford until the extension to
The Ashford railway works was established in 1847, on a site to the east of the station and the River Stour.[17] The first locomotive, known as the "Coffee Pot" for its unusual vertical boiler, was designed there the following year and constructed in 1850. It remained in service until 1861.[18] The works led to the creation of Alfred Town, later known at New Town which is now an Ashford suburb.[19]
Another station,
South Eastern and Chatham Railway
On 1 January 1899, as part of the formation of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR), passenger services were diverted to the former SER station and Ashford West closed.[16] At the same time, the track was modified to give six separate approaches into the station, so that trains could pull up simultaneously.[23] The complete Ashford West station, including buildings and platforms, were converted into a works for cleaning cloths used in locomotive cleaning. Over a million were processed annually, with the reclaimed oil being re-used in the lubrication of points and point rodding.[24] The platform canopies survived to the 1930s,[25] while the station site was largely intact as of 1985,[26] with the main station building still standing in 1994.[27] The station buildings were demolished in 1999 for the construction of High Speed 1.[28][29]
In November 1904, the SECR agreed to a £47,000 rebuilding of the scheme in order to accommodate Maidstone traffic, which included removing a cattle dock so trains would not have to run on part of the South Eastern Main Line. The work was completed in 1907.[30] Further resignalling work continued into the next year.[31]
Southern Railway
The station became part of the
British Rail
The station passed on to the
When sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s by British Rail, the station was served by Network SouthEast until privatisation.[32][42] In 1984, the track layout at the station was simplified, restricting the Maidstone and Canterbury West connections to the north of the track layout, and the Marshlink line to the south. This allowed the speed limit through the station to be increased to 85 miles per hour (137 km/h).[43]
International station
The station was rebuilt as Ashford International to serve trains to mainland Europe. Construction was planned to begin in 1991 but delayed owing to a lack of government approval.
To segregate passengers from domestic and international services, a dedicated entrance from the ticket barrier to the platforms was built.[45] This included a separate departure lounge that could accommodate up to 800 passengers.[50] A multistorey car park was built, connecting to the international end of the station via a footbridge.[49]
The rebuilt station opened for international services on 8 January 1996, with the first stop being the 06:19 service from Waterloo.[51][52] The station was formally renamed Ashford International on 28 February.[50][53] When phase 1 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link was completed in 2003, a dedicated fast line was built allowing through trains to bypass the station via a 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) tunnel and a 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) viaduct.[54][45][55]
Before the completion of High Speed 1 in November 2007, twelve
In 2018, it was announced that the international platforms would undergo a £10m refurbishment to make them compatible with Eurostar's Class 374 units, branded as Eurostar e320, as well as to allow other operators to use the station.[62] The first Eurostar e320 stopped at Ashford on 3 April, with the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, and the MP for Ashford, Damian Green, on board.[63] No other e320s stopped at Ashford International because of a technical fault until January 2020.[64]
Closure
In September 2020, Eurostar announced that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent collapse in ticket revenue (down by 90%), both Ebbsfleet and Ashford International stations would not be served by Eurostar services until at least 2022.[65] In September 2021, Eurostar confirmed that services would not resume until 2023, despite complaints by local politicians that this was "bad for Kent".[66] Eurostar stated that they will resume services when commercially sensible to do so, as they will initially "focus on destinations where demand is highest".[66] A further update in August 2022 confirmed that the station (along with Ebbsfleet International) would likely not open until at least 2025.[67] Additional processing work caused by Brexit has also contributed to suspension of services.[68] At the start of 2024, Eurostar re-iterated services would not run from Ashford for the entire year, with the following year to be reviewed at a later date.[69]
In 2022, the Members of Parliament for Ashford and Dartford,
Domestic services
In 2007, a new maintenance depot, operated by
In 2018,
Southern
The
Future
Because Ashford International connects High Speed 1 to the Marshlink line, it creates potential for a fast service from St Pancras to Hastings and Eastbourne. In November 2017, the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, proposed a modification of the track layout at Ashford International to accommodate such a service. The scheme was supported by Amber Rudd, a former Hastings MP.[81][82]
To connect the two lines, the junction at the west end of the station would need to be rebuilt, with 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead wires being installed along platform 2. This would relieve pressure from platforms 5 and 6, which currently handle all High Speed 1 domestic services. In 2018, a spokesman for Network Rail said remodelling the station could be complete by 2022.[83]
Services
Domestic
Domestic services at Ashford International are operated by Southeastern and Southern using Class 375, 377 and 395 EMUs by the former and Class 171 DMUs by the latter.
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[84][85]
- 2 tph to London St Pancras International
- 2 tph to London Charing Cross via Tonbridge
- 1 tph to London Victoria via Maidstone East
- 1 tph to Dover Priory
- 1 tph to Ramsgate via Dover Priory and Deal
- 1 tph to Ramsgate via Canterbury West
- 1 tph to Margate via Canterbury West
- 1 tph to Eastbourne via Hastings
Additional services, including trains to and from London Cannon Street call at the station during the peak hours.
International
Eurostar are not currently stopping at Ashford International. In July 2020, the off-peak timetable was:[86]
- 3 trips per day to Paris – Gare du Nord
- 1 trip per day to Brussels South
- 1 trip per day to Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy (Disneyland Paris)
- Up to 3 trips per week to – seasonal service from May to September
- Up to 3 trips per week to Bourg-Saint-Maurice in the French Alps– seasonal service from December to April
Direct Eurostar services from St Pancras to
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Southeastern | ||||
Pluckley or Headcorn | Southeastern |
Westenhanger | ||
Southeastern |
Wye | |||
Maidstone East Line | Terminus | |||
Marshlink Line | ||||
Eurostar | ||||
London St Pancras International or Ebbsfleet International | Eurostar (Suspended) |
Calais-Frethun or Lille Europe | ||
Paris Nord | ||||
Disused railways | ||||
Waterloo International | Eurostar | Calais-Fréthun
| ||
Pluckley | British Rail Southern Region |
Smeeth | ||
Hothfield | Maidstone East Line
|
Terminus |
Incidents
The first fatality on the South Eastern Railway occurred at Ashford in May 1843. A guard had stepped onto a running board to look for lost luggage, when the train suddenly started. He was decapitated when his head hit a sentry box.[10]
See also
- Ashford Steam Centre
- Ashford train depot
Notes
References
Citations
- ISBN 978-0-9549866-4-3.
- ^ Glasspool, David. "Ashford International". Kent Rail. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
- ^ Neville-Carlé 2010, Fig. 98.
- ^ "National Rail Enquiries -". www.nationalrail.co.uk.
- ^ "Station facilities for Ashford International". National Rail Enquiries. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
- ^ "Ashford International". Eurostar. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ^ Parking Review Report (PDF) (Report). Ashford Borough Council. December 2014. p. 31. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 11.
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 18.
- ^ a b c Gray 1990, p. 19.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, p. 5.
- ^ Butt 1995, p. 53.
- ^ McCarthy & McCarthy 2007, p. 53.
- ^ Butt 1995, p. 113.
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 211.
- ^ a b c Butt 1995, p. 20.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, pp. 6, 7.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, pp. 10–11.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, p. 12.
- ^ Grant 2017, p. 352.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995a, Ashford West – Map.
- ^ Gray 1990, p. 175.
- ^ "Some South-Eastern Improvements". The Times. 6 April 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995a, Ashford West – Illustration 116.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995a, Ashford West – Illustration 112.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995a, Ashford West – Illustration 119.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995a, Ashford West – Illustration 114.
- ^ Ashton, Ben (8 January 2020). "The second abandoned Ashford railway station everyone has forgotten about". Kent Live. Local World. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ Robinson, Andy (4 July 2019). "Kent's forgotten railway lines and stations which have been long abandoned". kentlive.
- ^ Gray 1998, p. 19.
- ^ Gray 1998, p. 27.
- ^ a b c Mitchell 1996, p. 6.
- ^ Wragg 2003, p. 82.
- ^ Dendy Marshall & Kidner 1963, p. 455.
- ^ Moody 1979, p. 140.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, p. 54.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, p. 56.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995b, Illustration 5.
- ^ Lawrence 2018, p. 97.
- ^ Glasspool, David. "Ashford". Kent Rail. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, pp. 59, 60.
- ^ Barclay 2018, p. 75.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, p. 60.
- ^ Dynes, Michael (5 October 1991). "Trains will not fit prefab station". The Times. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ a b c Blow 2012, p. 127.
- ^ Mitchell 1996, p. 82.
- ^ Penny 1996, p. 127.
- ^ Dormer, Peter (14 July 1993). "Architecture: A station you'll want to come home to: The railway temples of old are returning in Modernist guise". The Independent. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ a b Mitchell 1996, p. 83.
- ^ a b Brunhouse 2004, p. 52.
- ^ "Eurostar train puts Kent on timetable". The Times. 9 January 1996. p. 6. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Rail Romance Revived". The Times. 9 January 1996. p. 17. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Eurostar Press Release, "Eurostar celebrates 10 years at Ashford International"". Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2008.
- ^ "Ashford International". www.kentrail.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "HS1 Sectional Appendix" (PDF). High Speed 1. May 2013. pp. A22–A23. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ "New Eurostar station causes anger in Ashford". The Independent. 27 October 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "New station means Eurostar change". BBC News. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Disneyland Paris". The Times. 4 January 1997. p. 5. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Victory for Eurostar campaigners". BBC News. 23 February 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ Rail Action Plan for Kent (PDF) (Report). Kent County Council. April 2011. p. 33. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Eurostar debuts London to Marseille high-speed rail link". France 24. 1 May 2015.
- ^ "Ashford International modified for use by Eurostar e320 trainsets". Railway Gazette. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- ^ "Ashford station's international future looks bright as first modern high-speed train calls en-route to Paris [and Brussels]". Kent Online. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "New Eurostar Trains can finally stop in town". Kent Online. 21 December 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ^ Wright, Dan (3 September 2020). "Eurostar trains won't stop in Kent until 2022". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 4 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Eurostar services will not resume until 2023". Kent Online. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ "Eurostar services may not stop in Kent before 2025". BBC News. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
- ^ "Eurostar stations in Kent to stay closed for at least two years – partly due to Brexit". The Independent. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Eurostar confirms no stops at Ebbsfleet or Ashford International in 2024". Kent Online. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ a b "International Rail Services : Kent". Parliamentary Archive (Hansard). 25 October 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Ashford residents call for Eurostar trains to be brought back to stop town centre decline". Kent Online. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ "Calls for Eurostar to return to Kent as campaigner says calling county stations 'international' is 'misleading'". Kent Live. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ "HITACHI UNVEILS 'BULLET TRAIN' AT NEW ASHFORD DEPOT : Hitachi-Rail.com". www.hitachi-rail.com. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "Fast and surreal: Ashford to London on the high speed train". Kent Online. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ^ "Javelin train on 140mph test-run". BBC News. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ "Major investment by Network Rail and Kent County Council will mean shorter journeys between Ramsgate and London". Kent Online. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Ashford to St Pancras – London's most envied commuter route". London Evening Standard. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ^ "The Thameslink line you'll see on official maps that doesn't actually exist". My London. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ "Plans to axe unpopular two-carriage Eastbourne train service". Eastbourne Herald. 18 July 2017. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ "Lewes 'losing out' under new rail timetable". Sussex Express. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Plan to introduce direct trains from Eastbourne to London St Pancras". Eastbourne Herald. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Hastings and Rye MP, Amber Rudd meets with Minister to state case for high speed rail services". Hastings Observer. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- ^ "Plan for high-speed trains from Ashford to Hastings". Kent Online. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
- ^ Table 190, 192, 194, 196, 197, 207 National Rail timetable, December 2023
- ^ "Kent's High Speed connections". BBC News. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ^ "Timetables Core Destinations" (PDF). Eurostar. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "Ashford to Amsterdam by Train in 3hrs 50 minutes". Eurostar. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
Sources
- Barclay, Kenny (2018). British Rail in the 1980s and 1990s: Electric Locomotives, Coaches, DEMU and EMUs. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-445-67022-5.
- Blow, Christopher (2012). Transport Terminals and Modal Interchanges. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-35230-0.
- Brunhouse, Jay (2004). Travelling the Eurail Express. Pelican. ISBN 978-1-589-80168-4.
- OL 11956311M.
- Grant, Donald (2017). Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain. Troubadour Publishing. ISBN 978-1-788-03768-6.
- Gray, Adrian (1990). South Eastern Railway. Middleton Press. ISBN 978-0-906520-85-7.
- Gray, Adrian (1998). South Eastern and Chatham Railways. Middleton Press. ISBN 1-901706-08-7.
- Lawrence, David (2018). British Rail Architecture 1948-97. Crecy Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-860-93685-5.
- Dendy Marshall, C.F.; ISBN 0-7110-0059-X.
- McCarthy, Colin; McCarthy, David (2007). Railways of Britain - Kent and East Sussex. Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-3222-4.
- Mitchell, Vic (1996). Ashford - from Steam to Eurostar. Middleton press. ISBN 1-873793-67-7.
- Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1995a). Southern Main Lines : Swanley to Ashford. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-873793-45-6.
- Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1995b). Branch Lines Around Canterbury. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-873793-58-8.
- Moody, G. T. (1979) [1957]. Southern Electric 1909-1979 (Fifth ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-0924-4.
- Neville-Carlé, Richard (2010). St. Pancras to Folkestone (HS1 to the Channel Tunnel). Middleton Press. ISBN 978-1-906008-88-8.
- Penny, Charles (1996). Channel Tunnel Transport System. Thomas Telford. ISBN 978-0-727-72515-8.
- Wragg, David (2003). The Southern Railway Handbook 1923 - 1947. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3294-5.
External links
- Train times and station information for Ashford International railway station from National Rail
- Airport information for Ashford International railway station at Transport Search website.
- BVE Trainsim simulation from Ashford to Swanley Archived 5 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine