UK government backs return of international rail travel to Kent stations

Ashford and Ebbsfleet have been shut to cross-Channel services since 2020, with Eurostar calling them unviable

Hopes that international rail services could return to UK stations abandoned by Eurostar have grown, with the government backing new competitors who plan to serve stops in Kent.

Ministers have been leaning on the rail regulator to give crucial space on the railway to prospective entrants who pledge to bring cross-Channel services back to Ashford and Ebbsfleet stations - and possibly London's Stratford International.