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Public Transport

Ashford already benefits from a strong network of public transport services, including buses, trains and walking and cycle paths.

To accommodate and limit the growth in traffic as the town grows significant improvements to public transport provision will be required.

By maximising the use of public transport, people will have a genuine choice of travel options in and around Ashford and this will reduce the need for a more expensive and environmentally damaging road building programme.

Buses

There are three key areas proposed to improve bus travel in Ashford:

  • The existing bus services will be improved and extended to serve new development areas.
  • Three new Park and Ride schemes on the edge of town will provide express services to the town centre, Stations and Designer Outlet Shopping Village.
  • A new fast and high frequency SmartLink bus service will be phased in to serve the key housing and employment areas from 2012.


Trains

There are three proposals to improve travel by train in Ashford:

  • New domestic services via High Speed 1 will be introduced in 2009, reducing journey times into London to 37 minutes. Special preview services were introduced at the end of June.
  • Improving access and facilities at the station forecourt and between the station and the town centre, increasing integration between buses, trains, walking and cycling.
  • Further improvements to the Marshlink line, building on the new direct services to Brighton, and examining the potential for a new station serving Park Farm and development to the south of the town.

Find out more

To find out more about domestic services to and from Ashford visit Southeastern Trains. For information about international services visit Eurostar.