Ebbsfleet International

Last week I was fortunate to visit Ebbsfleet International and meet some of the most senior members of the companies which run and operate out of the station; HS1, Southeastern Trains and Eurostar. Ebbsfleet is a major hub in our constituency and it is going to be an increasingly important part of our local transport infrastructure.

HS1 was of course controversial at the time of its construction, yet we now take for granted how it has enhanced the local area and helped it to prosper. The recently announced plans to build a leisure and entertainment complex twice the size of the Olympic Park is a testament to this: the link to the continent is a cornerstone of the plan, and one of the main reasons why the Swanscombe site was chosen. Once the new homes are built at Ebbsfleet Valley we may see HS1 becoming more popular with commuters who want to take advantage of the 17 minute journey into London.

Transport is high on the Government’s agenda, and on Monday MPs passed legislation allowing extra investment on infrastructure projects. The Government needs to take care not to overlook existing elements by focussing entirely on new schemes. Ebbsfleet is one of several gateways to the UK for European businesses, but at present the lines and trains are not running at capacity. We should be looking to capitalise on the 2 hour journey time from Paris, and 1 hour 50 minutes from Brussels, and I believe that the Swanscombe regeneration project will do exactly that.