Connectivity

Better Connected

Ashford’s location is key to its success.

Perfectly positioned to give businesses a powerful ,competitive edge, it is a thriving, expanding town at the heart of the region’s communications and transport network with excellent continental links providing access to over 360 million consumers throughout Europe.

With a phased multi-million pound investment programme in transport infrastructure, and the introduction of the high speed rail services, connections are set to get even better, making Ashford ideally placed for commuting, living and business.

See below for more information on Ashford's  rail, road, sea and air connections...

Rail

Ashford is now served by the domestic High Speed 1 rail link, a super fast service that connects the town to London St Pancras in just 37 minutes, cutting travel time in half,

Two high speed trains per hour run between Ashford and London all day, every day . Full timetables and futher details are available at the Southeastern website.

Eurostar operates a driect passenger service from Ashford to Paris, which takes just two hours, while Lille is 57 minutes away. Freight and passenger traffic passes through the Eurotunnel departure point at nearby Folkestone, taking just 35 minutes to Calais.

In addition, Ashford has excellent direct rail links to the rest of Kent and Sussex (Folkestone, Dover, Canterbury, Maidstone, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Hastings and Brighton) and London.

Rail Travel Times Starting From Ashford

Road

Road links connect Ashford with most European cities within a day. Two major motorways, the M20 and nearby M2, provide easy access to continental Europe and beyond through the Channel Tunnel and via The Port of Dover. With significant improvements to Junction 10 of the M20 completed, the town will benefit from faster access to UK and overseas markets.

Air

Ashford offers ready access to London’s two main airports - Heathrow (around 90 minutes) and Gatwick (just over an hour). London Ashford Airport (Lydd) and Kent International Airport (Manston) are both improving their excellent facilities by investing in phased multi-million pound redevelopment programmes.

Sea

The Port of Dover is within easy reach of Ashford – some 30 minutes. The world's busiest roll-on, roll-off ferry terminal, Dover handles up to 2.3 million freight vehicles per year. The Port is set to expand further with a commitment from Dover Harbour Board to invest £200 million as part of their long-term development plan for the area.