Ashford International railway station is in line for a £1.2million cash injection aimed partly at helping it cope with an expected massive rise in travellers.

Rail operator Southeastern has forecast that by 2013, the station will be dealing with an extra million passengers a year, triggering a huge increase in demand for services.

With the introduction of domestic rail services on High Speed 1 - the rail link - in 2009, the station is destined to become one of the most heavily used in the south east.

County transport chiefs say that is likely to put significant pressures on the station, with 46 per cent more people forecast to be using it in the next six years.

Now the station has been included in a Government strategy to find ways of improving stations that are likely to become more popular.

It is in line for £1.2million as part of the National Station Improvement Programme, with the money likely to be spent on enlarging the station and improving and extending facilities for passengers.