Huge boost for Brits as UK railway station set to get first direct trains to Europe in nearly a decade
ON TRACK Huge boost for Brits as UK railway station set to get first direct trains to Europe in nearly a decade
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A MAJOR UK train station could get new routes to Europe again - five years after they were scrapped.
Ebbsfleet International in Kent used to be a stopping station for Eurostar.
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A railway station in Kent could get international trains again - the first in nearly a decade
Credit: Alamy
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Ebbsfleet International used to be a stopping station for Eurostar
Credit: Alamy
This included six trains a day to Paris and Brussels as well as four trains a week to Disneyland Paris.
However, these were suspended back in 2020 due to the pandemic, with them yet to be restored.
The station is now only currently used by HS1 between London and Kent.
But Eurostar rival Gemini - who recently confirmed they had partnered with Uber - has revealed plans to stop at the station when they launch their new routes.
Gemini CEO Adrian Quine told the BBC: "It's very important because Eurostar no longer stop in Kent and there's eight million people who live in the south-east of England, outside the M25, for whom having a direct service to the continent is extremely important.
"Ebbsfleet is a perfect station. It's designed for international traffic, it's got a massive car park, it's very well connected via the road network and it's connected to the rest of Kent via the HS1 service.
"We're proposing every train stops there."
The new European route is likely to start from 2029, nearly a decade after the station stopped having international train services.
And Gemini also revealed plans to operate from Stratford International Station rather than London St Pancras.
If this goes ahead, it would be the first time the station ever has trains to Europe, despite being an "international" station.
Top 5 Picturesque Train Journeys in Europe
This also means it would have to undergo huge infrastructure improvements to be able to handle passport and security control.
Until then, Brits can only hop on a train to Europe from St Pancras, with Eurostar also suspending routes via Ashford International during the pandemic.
International routes from the Kent train station are unlikely to return anytime soon, with a Eurostar spokesperson saying they would "look into it" again in 2026.
And it's not just Gemini wanting to take on Eurostar.
Start up operator Evolyn announced plans for trains between London and Paris back in 2023.
Earlier this year, FS Italiane Group said they wanted to launch a new train service between London and Paris by 2029.
And Virgin also wants to launch UK-Europe routes, with plans to buy 12 trains, costing £500million.
Here are seven European cities that could get a direct train route from the UK in the future.
And we've rounded up the four Eurostar routes that have been scrapped in recent years.
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She said: 'You are always moving around taking on different jobs. Plus, we build a house from the base and it's great being able to see the work in progress and, once you finish, you're like, 'Wow, I built all that'.' Toby Gouldson won his civil engineering apprenticeship at Alan Wood And Partners in Yorkshire with help from The Sun on Sunday. The 18-year-old, from Brough, said at the time: 'The Sun on Sunday's pullout was a massive help. 'I'm not sure I would have landed a job without it.' The £100million in funding for the new technical colleges will train 40,000 brickies, roofers and electricians by 2029. Revealing the plans, Bridget Phillipson said: 'If you're an out-of-work young person or someone looking for a new career, get up, get skills and get building.' Construction boss Ian Hodgkinson, from TV show DIY SOS, is angry there are so many NEETs. 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Now, the mum-of-one has a team of 25, but is still the only woman. She said: 'It's the stereotypical thing, but ladies football has changed and I hope that when people see my van on the road, they might think, 'Oh, maybe I can do that if she does'. "There is very good money in the building industry. If you want to have a physical job, it's fantastic. You don't have to be that stereotypical butch female builder. 'I'm a normal woman and yes, you do have to be fit, but you don't need to be all big and scary and muscly.' Jermaine Lucas, 17, from Hull, admits he didn't like school and quit without taking his exams. I've always wanted a practical role, but after reading your vacancies pullout, I had a breakthrough and was over the moon to land the job. I can't thank The Sun on Sunday enough Brooke Knight But he loves learning on the job and, since March, has been an apprentice bricklayer after taking a course at Orchard Training Education. He said: 'I struggled at school, so they offered me the alternative of going twice a week to learn joinery and bricklaying. 'I enjoyed bricklaying and I got pretty good at it, so I thought I'd go for that. I didn't like sitting in a classroom. Doing this, I learn something new every day. 'We've just built seven houses and a bungalow, and we're about to start building another bungalow, so we're busy. 'We mainly build private houses for people who have just retired, and it's nice to think that you're not just helping them out, you're giving them a roof over their head and have built their dream home. 'I'm on £264 a week, a good wage when you're 17, and once I qualify, I could be on about £200 a day. I've had a lot of friends looking at me, because I dropped out of school, who are now desperate to work. So to anyone thinking of taking up a trade, I say go for it. 'It's 100 per cent better than sitting at home watching TV.' TIME TO DO US PROUD By Bridget Phillipson, Women and Equalities Minister OVER the summer, our heroic Lionesses showed us yet again how women can smash down barriers and defy stereotypes to do Britain proud. To get this country back on track, we need to give our young people the skills to succeed. That means action, not more empty words. That's why I announced our new state-of-the-art Construction Technical Excellence Colleges. This is investment in home-grown talent, ending our reliance on imported labour. It means skills, jobs and homes for Brits, and growth for the economy. The Sun on Sunday's fantastic Builder Better Britain campaign is just what we need. Brooke and Emma are leading the way for women, but we need more of them. Whether it's playing football or laying bricks, we can't just leave it to the boys.
