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| Ashford Kent EurostarEurostar from Ashford International, Kent, England
Ashford International Station - EurostarAshford International Station is purpose-built station dedicated solely to Eurostar is situated in Kent and convenient for those living in the South East including South-east London, Sussex, Essex, Hampshire and Surrey. The state-of-the-art terminal offers:- Close to M20 motorway Parking for up to 2000 cars Multi-lingual Customer Service staff Bureau de Change Cafes offering a range of food and refreshments Parent and Baby room Map of Ashford Kent EurostarEurostar - IntroductionEurostar is the fast rail service directly linking the UK to France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel. It started operating in 1994, providing city centre to city centre services. With the opening of the new UK fast line on 28 September 2003 the fastest return journey times have been reduced by 40 minutes. The fastest London-Paris journey time is now 2 hours 35 minutes, London-Brussels 2 hours 15 minutes and London-Lille 1 hour 40 minutes. Eurostar runs up to 14 services to Paris and nine to Brussels daily. In addition, up to nine trains stop at Lille in northern France, and up to four services stop at Calais Frethun en route. Also, 14 trains call daily at the terminal at Ashford International, which serves as the principal passenger gateway from Kent. There are direct daily services from Waterloo and Ashford to the gates of Disneyland Resort Paris and, during the winter holiday season, Eurostar operates two services every week from Waterloo and Ashford to Moutiers and Bourg St Maurice in the French Alps. Eurostar also runs a direct service to Avignon in Provence on Saturdays during the Summer. In addition, Eurostar offers connecting tickets to over 100 destinations across France, Belgium and the Netherlands. For example, Lyon can be reached in five hours from London and Marseille in seven hours. Brussels Midi is the gateway for the Netherlands with easy connections to Amsterdam (about six hours from London). Eurostar offers a same day or next day parcels and collection service between London, Paris and Brussels under the name of Esprit Europe. Eurostar's ticket prices vary to meet all budgets. Leisure travellers enjoy the cheapest fares - with permanent lead-in short break fares from £59 return. Since starting operations in November 1994, Eurostar has more than doubled the total number of passengers travelling (by air or rail) between London and Paris/Brussels. Eurostar has checked-in over 50 million people since operations began. In September 2003, Eurostar began carrying guide dogs on its services from London Waterloo to Paris and Brussels. To establish the Eurostar service, it was necessary to overcome significant rail network differences between the UK, France and Belgium. European rail networks primarily focus on domestic services, employing different technologies, for example, in power supply and signalling, as well as in commercial areas such as ticket distribution systems. Eurostar has successfully overcome all these obstacles, operating safely and efficiently across the three territories. Eurostar: Setting new standards for international train travelEurostar has been at the leading edge of innovation in the rail industry, setting new standards for travel by train. It was one of the first rail operators to introduce business lounges, a loyalty programme, Premium First Class and meal inclusive tickets for first class passengers. Eurostar has successfully built up a significant market share by offering a number of advantages over other forms of transport. These include: Seamless city centre to city centre travel Frequency of services Greater punctuality in service than competitors Comfort and space Time efficiency - door to door journey times are faster than air Cost competitiveness Fast and convenient check-in. 10 minute check-in for Premium and Business First Class full-fare ticket holders. Arrival in city centre, no queues, no baggage reclaim Transparent and generous compensation policy, in the event of delay or cancellation Benefits for regular users as part of Eurostar Frequent Traveller loyalty scheme, including free travel as well as offers from a range of exclusive partners chosen to give a flavour of Eurostar's destinations. Eurostar Terminal and Train RefurbishmentEurostar is investing £35 million in a refurbishment programme which will cover all aspects of the service including rolling stock interiors, lounges, terminals, ticket offices, check-in, crockery, the visual identity and staff uniforms. The programme is being implemented in all three countries. The first phase of the programme was completed with the unveiling of new enlarged business lounges at Waterloo, Paris Nord and Brussels Midi. The lounges provide an oasis of calm for the business traveller en route from one European capital to another. They offer a bar, business communication facilities and comfortable seating. The lounges are now open to all holders of Premium First, Business First and Business Value First tickets and Eurostar carte blanche holders. In February 2004, Eurostar introduced new uniforms for terminal staff and on-board train crew, designed by Jacqueline de Baer.
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