Sharon fears environmental cost of new Eurostar terminal

1.01.52pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 4th Sep 2007

Sharon and fellow protestors

Sharon Bowles, South East Liberal Democrat MEP, has today voiced her fears over the environmental impact of Eurostar's new terminal at Ebbsfleet, which is due to open shortly.

Speaking as the Eurostar made its inaugural journey from Paris to London via a new high-speed rail line, Sharon Bowles said, "Eurostar's cut to the Ashford link make the move to Ebbsfleet bad news for South East residents and the environment. Thousands more people will now be forced back into their cars as rail and bus links from the new Ebbsfleet terminal to the rest of the county are virtually non-existent."

Sharon Bowles' latest comments follow her high-profile campaign to maintain the future of the Eurostar terminal at Ashford, whose status as an international transport hub seem no longer to be recognised by Eurostar. Not only have they announced there will be no trains to Brussels, the Paris service from Ashford will also be severely cut.

Sharon Bowles added, "We already have a perfectly good station at Ashford, which most people are very happy with. Ashford is well connected and convenient for those travelling to the continent. Any celebration over the new high speed link is completely marred by Eurostar's fixation that Ebbsfleet must replace Ashford."

Ends.