Eurostar says that the opening of its new Ebbsfleet rail station on 19 November this year, will allow it to compete directly with UK South-East airports for the first time
Located near to the M25 motorway, Eurostar services to Paris and Brussels will be 2h15min and 1h51min respectively from Ebbsfleet, with the additional carrot of free rail travel on any Southeastern service to local train stations near Ebbsfleet or Ashford International.
Passengers need to show their passport and ticket to qualify for free travel, while those using the Fastrack bus service that connects local stations to Ebbsfleet, as well as the Bluewater shopping centre, can also travel free.
Ryanair”s recent decision to operate services from London Stansted to Brussels Charleroi, has attracted criticism from lobby body, Greenpeace, which maintains that rail travel is more environmentally sound ” a stance with which Eurostar is clearly in agreement.
”Ryanair”s decision is one for itself,” a Eurostar spokesman told ABTN, ”but we are offering return fares from ”59 [to Brussels] while they are flying to Charleroi. Passengers can also have free connections to any station in Belgium such as Antwerp ” Belgium has a fantastic rail network.”
Eurostar will operate seven daily services from Ebbsfleet to Paris and five to Brussels, with some trains also calling at Ashford International. Ebbsfleet will also feature parking spaces for 2,500 cars within five minutes walk of check-in, at a daily rate of ”11.50.
Passengers holding Business Premier tickets or Eurostar”s frequent traveller card, Carte Blanche, will have free parking for trips of up to four days at both stations.
”For the first time, Eurostar will not only challenge the airlines on customer service, but also on location,” said chief executive, Richard Brown.
”For ten million people across southern England, Ebbsfleet International will be the fastest way to Europe ” much quicker than flying.”