Ashford International was once a proud gateway to Europe. Since international services were suspended in 2020, it has become a symbol of decline - leaving millions in taxpayer investment unused and communities across Kent and Sussex feeling cut off and forgotten.

Reopening the station is about far more than trains. It is a test of whether the Government is serious about backing coastal towns, restoring growth in the South East and tackling the rise of populism in a region where Reform UK is a credible threat. Reinstating international services would turn a ghost station into a driver of good growth, pride and opportunity. It is a visible, economically beneficial step to show that communities on the South East coast are not forgotten - and that the Government is ready to back them.

Why it matters

• Economic waste: £80 million of infrastructure investment has been rendered useless; businesses across the region have lost vital footfall and trade.

• Deep inequality: Kent and East Sussex contain some of the most deprived communities in the UK, with child poverty and unemployment concentrated along the coast.

• Political salience: Labour MPs in the South East are campaigning for the station’s reopening, Reform-led Kent County Council has publicly called for it and there is strong public support across the region.

What's at stake

• Economic growth: Reopening could inject £534 million a year into the visitor economy - up to £2.7 billion over five years.

• Connectivity: Return journey times to Brussels would fall from almost six hours to just over three, whilst those to Paris would fall by over 2 hours.

• Confidence: A clear signal that the Government is prepared to invest in regions that feel left behind.

In the shadow of London, the region of the South East has often been held up as a place of affluence. But beneath the surface, many of its communities - especially along the coast - are beginning to bubble with resentment borne from neglect and deprivation. External shocks like  the pandemic and Brexit have only made matters worse, and the subsequent closure of Ashford International has left a full recovery off the table.

Eurostar services to Ashford and Ebbsfleet International were suspended in March 2020. The closure was attributed to the unprecedented impact of the pandemic. But while services to London St Pancras continued regardless, services to Ashford have not resumed. Ashford International laying vacant has caused public outcry and become a symbol of self-defeating, short-termist corporatism at the expense of local economies.

Disconnection and deprivation as felt in the South East has exacerbated the rise of populism. The region has long been fertile ground for Reform UK, but now the party is making real political gains. Reform took control of Kent County Council in May 2025, and there is a good chance that it will be the main opposition in many Kent and Sussex parliamentary seats at the next election.  It is within this context that the resumption of international services at Ashford International can become a beacon of hope, growth and opportunity in a region desperate for a clear signal that the Government is prepared to back its people.

Effective transport infrastructure is a fundamental pillar of a fairer economy, serving not only to facilitate the movement of people and goods, but also as a powerful engine for good growth. It speaks to the freedom of individuals to pursue opportunity and ambition, and is a popular tool for improving lives.

Our foundational report, Mind the Growth Gap, found that transport is a key means through which people felt economic growth. And “an active government, willing to invest in places and people” is seen as the most likely lever to generate growth. Reopening Ashford International as a regional transport hub is a straightforward way the Government can demonstrate its ability to act on these two asks from the public while fostering growth in communities that have felt left behind. It would boost economic growth and serve as a highly visible act of faith in a regional economy, exemplifying how targeted investment in strategic infrastructure can be a cornerstone of the Government’s mission to support tangible good growth and regeneration.  

By leveraging existing infrastructure to restore a critical international link, the Government can articulate a compelling vision for economic rebalancing outside of London, use transport as a potent tool for community revival and capitalise on millions of investment being left to waste - all while  countering  the populist right in one its most targeted regions.

Ashford is the epicentre of a surprisingly struggling region. Kent and its neighbour East Sussex are often perceived as affluent due to their proximity to London and their overall economic output, but face significant internal economic disparities. This is particularly true for coastal communities, which have increasingly become barometers for overall UK decline.[3]

Kent’s top 20 most deprived areas are located along the coast - a significant geographical concentration of hardship. Thanet consistently ranks as the hardest-hit local authority, followed by Swale. Dover and Folkestone & Hythe also face acute socio-economic challenges.[4] The human impact of this is stark: in 2023/24, 14.8% of children under 16 in Kent (45,882 children) were living in absolute low-income families. This figure is higher than the South East regional average (12.3%) and increases significantly in Kent coastal districts, like Thanet (22.1%) and Dover (19.5%), surpassing the national average.[5]

East Sussex tells a similar story, with some of the most disadvantaged towns in the country. In Hastings, nearly half of all neighbourhoods fall within the bottom 20% nationally on multiple measures of hardship - including two of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the UK. The Sutton Trust Opportunity Index Report also placed Hastings in the bottom ten constituencies for social mobility earlier this year.[6] While Eastbourne and Bexhill are somewhat better off overall, they still contain areas of severe need. Eastbourne has four neighborhoods in the most deprived 10% nationally, and one Bexhill neighbourhood ranks among the bottom 5% in England.[7]

This region and its coast has, however, historically been a magnet for tourism and its benefits. Prior to the pandemic, Kent's visitor economy was substantial, attracting nearly 65 million visitors annually and contributing almost £3.8 billion to the UK’s economy. The sector supported over 77,000 jobs, equivalent to 11% of all employment in Kent.[8] Likewise, East Sussex’s tourism was impressive pre-COVID. Valued at approximately £5 billion in 2019, it attracted 62 million visitors and supported roughly 74,000 jobs.[9]

The pandemic had a devastating impact. 89% of Kent's hospitality and tourism businesses temporarily or indefinitely closed, accounting for 32.6% of all registered job losses.[10] The tourism sector in East Sussex did not fare much better, experiencing an immediate and drastic drop in visitor numbers and revenue. For some, but not all, towns in the region there has been a bounceback, but the hurt still remains. The South East underperformed during the pandemic recovery in terms of inbound tourist visits[11] and effects from the indefinite cut-off from international rail continue to scar an industry desperate to recover. But there remains huge potential for a further boost to tourism tied to Hastings and the surrounding area with the approach of the Bayeaux Tapestry’s UK loan in 2026, which is expected to draw major visitor numbers. Without the much-needed international rail links through Ashford, the region risks losing out on a major opportunity to turn global interest into a local economic revival.

It is unsurprising, given this post-pandemic difficult context, that the region - particularly the coast - has become a hotbed for political discontent and the emergence of the populist right. Crumbling infrastructure has been met with persistent crises: small boats in the channel; Brexit shocks to trade and shipping; rising living costs.

In May’s local elections, Reform UK took control of  Kent County Council.[12] A heartland for Brexit and more recently on the frontline of the small boats crisis, Kent has been an example of where frustrations with the Conservative Party have hardened. In the General Election, Reform came second in Dover & Deal and third in Ashford, Chatham & Aylesford, Sittingbourne & Sheppey and the Weald of Kent.[13] The party has cast itself as insurgent in the region - and across the country.[14] Fresh with this confidence, the new Leader of Kent County Council has already called for the reopening of Ashford International.[15] While ironic, due the closure being partly due to the complications created by Brexit,[16] this makes Ashford more than a local transport issue. It is a test of how national politics responds to the new forces reshaping Britain’s political map.

Reopening Ashford International offers a visible starting point for wider economic regeneration of the region. It would be a concrete and tangible policy through which the Government can demonstrate responsiveness to communities that feel they have seen better days. Labour MPs in the South East are already campaigning for it, recognising both its symbolic weight and practical benefits. Done right, reopening Ashford International could create a political opportunity to turn the tide on disenchantment by the Coast.