Brexit partly to blame as Eurostar Kent stops to remain closed for at least two years – iNews

Eurostar stops in Kent will not restart for at least two years and post-Brexit border rules are among the factors affecting the delay, the operator has suggested.

Ashford International and Ebbsfleet Eurostar services were put on hold in March 2020 and had been expected to resume in 2023.

In a statement, Eurostar said: We can confirm that Eurostar services will not stop at Ebbsfleet or Ashford International stations in 2023, and that we cannot make any commitment for another two to three years.

As such, the wait for stops in Kent to restart could continue into 2025.

Our recovery is progressing well, but we have considerable financial commitments following the pandemic which we will continue to face for a number of years, Eurostar added.

Our border environment has also toughened post Brexit, and further complexity is expected with the launch of the EUs Entry Exit System.

The EUs Entry Exit system (EES) is due to come into effect in May 2023 and will involve extra checks on UK passport holders as, since Brexit, they are treated as third-country nationals when entering the EU.

Currently, UK passport holders travelling to an EU or Schengen-area country should have their document stamped on entry and exit to ensure they are complying with the rule that means that their stay within the Schengen area must be of no more than 90 days in every 180 days.

Passport stamps will no longer be required when EES comes into effect, but more checks will apply.

The new system will register a travellers name. their type of travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit.

Border crossing processes will be affected by the EES requirement to record each UK passport holders (and other third-party nationals) fingerprints and picture. These checks could also slow down the entry process.

Alongside the EES, next year will see launch of the Etias (The European Travel Information and Authorisation System), a Esta-style application that non-EU visitor exempt travellers, including UK passport holders, will need to complete to visit EU and Schengen area countries. The date of its launch is now expected to be November 2023.

International travellers have no firm date by which they can expect services at the Kent stations to resume.

Trains heading for the Continent regularly stopped at both Ashford International and Ebbsfleet stations before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ashford International was rebuilt and upgraded for Eurostar services at a cost of tens of millions of pounds but since the start of the pandemic has only offered trains to London and South East England.

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Brexit partly to blame as Eurostar Kent stops to remain closed for at least two years - iNews