To link this with Brexit is a load of cobblers.
The stops at Ebbsfleet and Ashford stops that were ceased have been under threat for years, beginning with the opening of St Pancras as the London terminal. Trains serving Ashford were halved, or completely dropped, with Kent-based Eurostar customers encouraged to start their journey from Ebbsfleet instead. Small victories came from the reinstatement of a singular daily service from Ashford to Brussels, but passengers were warned that if there were less than 25 customers a day, the service would be unceremoniously axed, as the eight minute addition to the journey would not be economically viable. The Kent stops were entirely ceased at the end of March 2020 following the outbreak of Covid. Here’s the announcement on the Eurostar website:
“Important: Due to the impact of coronavirus and the subsequent pressure put on our business, we’ve made a decision to focus on our busiest city centre stations. As a result, our trains will no longer be stopping at Ashford International or Ebbsfleet International until the end of 2022 at the earliest.”
A spokesman said: “We understand this will be disappointing for the local communities.
And here’s a more recent press release:
“Whilst we continue to operate in an uncertain and fragile environment, we must focus on our most profitable inter-capital routes to enable us to meet our financial commitments, stabilise our operation and our customer experience, before considering any further developments.”
There are no substantial alterations to the border control arrangements that necessitate the measure. There is adequate border control at both the Kent stations. It is purely a commercial decision. But od course, Brexit is to blame.