Eurostar services from Ashford to Brussels will begin sooner than expected.

A direct service will resume on Monday, February 23, instead of March.

The announcement by the train company follows another from Eurotunnel, which said the repairs to the Channel Tunnel following the fire will be completed by February 10.

Despite huge opposition, the Ashford to Brussels Eurostar service was axed when Ebbsfleet in north Kent opened just over a year ago.

Further campaigning and increased ticket sales led Eurostar to announce it was bringing the service back.

It was due to be back on track last December but the Channel Tunnel fire, which happened on September 11, 2008, put those plans on hold.

Earlier this month, campaigner for the Ashford to Brussels service Edith Robson discovered tickets for the Belgian capital were on sale from March 10, but now an announcement from Eurostar brings that date forward a fortnight.

The new timetable has also been announced, which enables travellers to arrive in Brussels before 9am on a weekday. The return train leaves Brussels just before 5pm.

Between February 10 and 22 Eurostar will continue to operate its existing timetable, but says some trains are likely to arrive earlier than expected.

Richard Brown, chief executive of Eurostar, said: “We’re delighted that the growth in passengers on the London - Brussels route since the opening of High Speed 1 has enabled us to reintroduce a direct link between Ashford International and Brussels, and we very much hope it will prove attractive to travellers.”