t ra n sp o r t 12 KingÕs Cross St Pancras has six underground lines and is located in LondonÕs Zone one Ð ideal for reaching The City, West End and other central attractions. The second section of the line under construction will provide high- speed rail for KentÕs domestic services in 2009. International Services from London 17 trains a day to Paris: journey time: 2hr 15m 10 trains a day to Brussels: journey time; 1hr 51m 9 trains a day to Lille: journey time 1hr 20m Ashford International Station Ashford International rail station saves business travellers in Kent from making the journey to London to use the Eurostar, allowing customers to reach Lille and Disneyland Resort Paris in less than two hours. Facilities at Ashford International ¥ A bar, cafŽ, currency exchange and convenience store ¥ Eurostar ticket office and self- service ticket collection machines ¥ Cash machines (before check-in only) ¥ Business Lounge ¥ Wireless internet access Getting to Ashford International By train:Southeastern Trains serves Ashford. By car:Less than 10 minutes from Junction 10 of the M20 (A20), easily reached from the M25. Secure parking facilities - wheelchair users qualify for a 50% reduction on parking fees. By coach: New coach drop-off point next to the main entrance. www.southeasternrailway.co.uk³ Southeastern Southeastern services connect towns and cities across Kent and East Sussex to London and the coast (see map page 13) carrying over 400,000 passengers everyday. The services are set to be transformed in 2009 when Southeastern begins using the new high-speed line, HS1. Journey times between key Kent locations (such as Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone and Dover) and London will be cut dramatically. Journey times to London from 2009 Stratford International 7 mins Ebbsfleet International 17 mins Ashford International 37 mins (saving 46 mins) Canterbury West Just over 1 hr (saving 41 mins) Folkestone Central Just over 1 hr (saving 35 mins) Dover 1 hour 14 mins (saving 38 mins) Southeastern is the major train operator in Kent, for information on timetables and fares see www.southeasternrailway.co.uk or www.nationalrail.co.uk Eurostar Eurostar relocated its London hub to the beautifully restored St Pancras International in November 2007. Journey times between London and the Continent have been reduced to just 2 hours and 15 minutes to Paris and 1hour 51mins to Brussels as Eurostar speeds along the new high-speed line, HS1. P ic tu re c ou r te s y o f E u ro s ta r Ashford International Station Travel by Rail Transport.qxd 3/7/08 4:49 pm Page 12 0 1 /0 8 So u th e a s te rn H ig h S p ee d R ou te (R e s t r ic te d S p e ed Z o n e ) O p en s D e ce m b e r 2 0 0 9 So u th e a s te rn H ig h S p ee d R ou te 1 (H S1 ) O p en s D e ce m b e r 2 0 0 9 H ig h -S p e ed 1 t ra n sp o r t 13 M ap c ou r te s y o f S ou th e a s te rn R a ilw a y Transport.qxd 3/7/08 4:49 pm Page 13 The new Hitachi high speed domestic train that will run on HSI from 2009 t ra n sp o r t 14 Getting to Ebbsfleet International By Fastrack:Ebbsfleet International is connected directly to Dartford, Gravesend, Greenhithe, Bluewater and Swanscombe by Fastrack. See page 16. By train:From London, change at Greenhithe and connect with Fastrack B. Towards London, change at Gravesend, exit platform 2 and cross road to Fastrack B stop. Southeastern trainsÕ services will connect in 2009 when its new high-speed services become available to domestic commuters. By car: Minutes from Junction 2 of the M25 and also close to the A2, M2 and M20, the station offers Ôpark-and-rideÕ facilities for up to 5,000 vehicles. By coach:National Express Coaches stop at Ebbsfleet on the Dover-Canterbury-London Victoria route. The station is one of first tangible pieces of infrastructure in one of the UKÕs most ambitious and large- scale regeneration and development projects Ð Ebbsfleet Valley. For more information see page 181 (Land Securities) www.ebbsfleetgateway.com www.highspeed1.com³ Ebbsfleet International Situated between Dartford and Gravesend, the high-tech Ebbsfleet International opens up major travel opportunities for people living across the South East. The station currently offers Eurostar services but will also provide four platforms for new high-speed domestic journeys in 2009 on HS1. Facilities at Ebbsfleet International ¥ CafŽs, currency exchange, convenience store, cash machines ¥ Eurostar ticket office (open daily from 5.00am Ð 22.30), group welcome desk, special assistance desk and self-service ticket collection machines ¥ Wireless internet access ¥ Lounge facilities open to all passengers ¥ Separate lounge facilities for Business Premier and Eurostar carte blanche holders ¥ Toilets and baby-changing facilities ¥ Bicycle and motorbike parking ¥ Car hire (Avis 01474 350 631) ³ Travel by Rail continued... Transport.qxd 3/7/08 4:49 pm Page 14 Ebbsfleet International is also connected to Dartford, Gravesend, Greenhithe and Bluewater by Fastrack Pictures courtesy of Eurostar Working on the move London to Paris in just over two hours Two Fastrack routes are now operational (see map below) with two more planned. Passenger surveys reveal that some 19% of passengers would previously have used a car for the journey. www.go-fastrack.co.uk Useful contacts Buses Arriva Kent & Sussex Limited www.arriva.co.uk Stagecoach East Kent www.stagecoachbus.com Coaches National Express www.nationalexpress.co.uk Green Line www.greenline.co.uk The Kings Ferry Travel Group www.thekingsferry.co.uk Fastrack Fastrack is the new part of the public transport system that sits between the existing bus service and rail services in Kent Thameside. The service will ultimately connect nearly all of the major existing and new developments in Dartford and Gravesham with core express routes on which only Fastrack services are allowed to run. Alongside enhanced bus services, Fastrack is designed to provide a frequent, reliable high quality service that will ensure people can get around Ð to work, to school, to play Ð even to London and the Continent with connections to Ebbsfleet International. Since its launch in March 2006, well over 3 million passengers have used Fastrack, exceeding all expectations. Fastrack is designed to provide a frequent, reliable high quality service ³ Travel by Rail continued... Metro map