Ashford International | |
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Location | |
Place | Ashford |
Local authority | Borough of Ashford |
Coordinates | 51°08′37″N 0°52′28″E / 51.1436°N 0.87448°ECoordinates: 51°08′37″N 0°52′28″E / 51.1436°N 0.87448°E |
Grid reference | TR011421 |
Operations | |
Station code | AFK |
Managed by | Southeastern |
Number of platforms | 6 |
DfT category | B |
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries |
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Annual rail passenger usage* | |
2011/12 | 3.311 million |
– Interchange | 0.754 million |
2012/13 | 3.330 million |
– Interchange | 0.760 million |
2013/14 | 3.481 million |
– Interchange | 0.803 million |
2014/15 | 3.615 million |
– Interchange | 0.835 million |
2015/16 | 3.765 million |
– Interchange | 0.815 million |
History | |
1 December 1842 | Opened as "Ashford" |
9 July 1923 | Renamed "Ashford (Kent)" |
8 January 1996 | Commencement of Eurostar services |
28 February 1996 | Rebuilt and renamed "Ashford International" |
National Rail – UK railway stations | |
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Ashford International from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year. | |
Ashford International railway station (IATA: QDH) serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.
International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island (platforms 5 & 6) built by British Rail when the Channel Tunnel opened. While all tracks are electrified with 750 V DC third rail, platforms 3-6 are also electrified with 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line.
The domestic terminal to the north of the tracks and the international terminal to the south are connected by a subway which has access to the platforms; access to the international trains on platforms 3 & 4 is only possible through an overbridge from the international terminal. The local bus stops are located at the entrance to the domestic terminal. The international terminal is connected to a multi-storey car park via a footbridge and also to the nearby Ashford Designer Outlet by a signposted footpath.
The present station was opened by the South Eastern Railway (SER) on 1 December 1842, and became part of the Southern Railway during the grouping of 1923. The station then passed on to the Southern Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948.