The impact on businesses following the loss of Eurostar services in Kent will be laid bare in a new survey.

Bosses at Kent County Council (KCC) are urging trade leaders to take part in a new questionnaire to highlight how the loss of the international service has affected the county over the last three years.

Eurostar has not stopped at Ashford or Ebbsfleet International stations since March 2020 when the global pandemic broke out.

The firm has since cited challenges with the recovery of passenger demand and border control constraints as reasons why it has yet to return to the two Kent stations.

A petition set up by Ashford residents calling for its return has collected over 34,000 signatures.

Now, KCC, supported by Ashford Borough Council (ABC) and Dartford Borough Council (DBC), is running a survey to understand the impact its loss is having on business and trade.

In a statement, the authority said “international rail services provided a unique opportunity to the county before 2020” and it is “important the case is made again to ensure the investment in Kent’s international rail network is exploited to drive economic growth”.

KCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, Neil Baker, said: “For the Kent economy to continue to thrive it is important we are in the best position possible to promote the case for international rail services to resume in the county.

“To do that, we need to understand the impact the sustained loss of international rail services in Kent has had on businesses.

“It will give us the tools we need to make the case on their behalf.

“Eurostar will hopefully see that demand is still there and there may even be more demand. People are tired of seeing the services laying fallow and empty platforms where there were once filled with passengers and suitcases.”

He said the trains failure to stop at Ashford and Ebbsfleet was just taking potential customers and business away from the towns and into London instead.

“The services at Ashford International Station are not only important for existing businesses and travellers, they are also important for our future commercial investments,” he said.

“The prospect that Eurostar is not likely to return anytime soon represents a real challenge for those businesses that rely on the service, and those that work locally.

“Significant investment has been made over the last 25 years in infrastructure at Ashford International Station to ensure international services are able to operate to support business and leisure travel to Europe, so it is imperative that the benefits of this investment are realised through services being returned to support the economy of Kent and the UK.

“With the valuable support of local businesses and residents, we will continue our fight and call on the government to intervene in order to maintain the prosperity of the borough and indeed the wider east Kent region.”

Leader of ABC, Cllr Noel Ovenden, added: “The services at Ashford International Station are not only important for existing businesses and travellers, they are also important for our future commercial investments.

“The prospect that Eurostar is not likely to return anytime soon represents a real challenge for those businesses that rely on the service and those that work locally.

“Significant investment has been made over the last 25 years in infrastructure at Ashford International Station to ensure international services are able to operate to support business and leisure travel to Europe, so it is imperative that the benefits of this investment are realised through services being returned to support the economy of Kent and the UK.

“With the valuable support of local businesses and residents, we will continue our fight and call on the government to intervene in order to maintain the prosperity of the borough and indeed the wider east Kent region.

“We have businesses waiting in the wings to see if Eurostar reopens the station, before they commit to moving in.”

The survey will run until the end of December and should take about 10 minutes to complete.

Anyone who is responsible for the day to day running of a business is able to take part and it is not limited to businesses in Kent – businesses that have been affected from across the south east region are encouraged to take part.

Leader of DBC, Cllr Jeremy Kite, said: “The failure to deliver a meaningful international service when we have a huge amount of public investment in station infrastructure at Ebbsfleet is a huge, missed opportunity.

“In my opinion the operators must be persuaded to reopen services or to relinquish their rights to allow another operator to do so.

“They need to see they are making a huge mistake and missing a huge opportunity.”

He said the waste of the purpose-built international departure lounges is “bonkers”.

“It would not require any more capital investment or infrastructure just for it to stop here. It’s inexplicable.”

He said ensuring trains stop at the station would help boost business links with Europe.

“Europe is a huge market for us and we are a huge market for Europe. I’m sure businesses would relish the opportunity to relocate to Ebbsfleet and create jobs and have travel links to Europe.

“It makes perfect sense.”

To take part, click here.

It comes as a rival rail firm last week revealed its intention to start its own cross-Channel service - which would be the first company to use the Channel Tunnel other than Eurostar since it was built in 1994.

Spanish firm Evolyn says it has invested £1 billion to launch a new service from London to the continent and plans to acquire 12 trains from French manufacturer Alstom, with an “option to scale up to 16”.

The company said the route was “strategic and high demand” and it intended to launch its first service in 2025. The trains would not stop in Kent.

But Ashford MP Damian Green hopes their announcement might put pressure on Eurostar to return to Kent.

He said: “It is potentially encouraging for two reasons: one we may be able to persuade them that they may be able to make extra money from stopping at Ashford.

“And second the presence of a rival operator will put pressure on Eurostar to explore every angle to increase revenue.

“This does seem to be a serious company and if they have signed to buy the trains, they clearly intend to go ahead.”

A statement from Eurostar in August, on its return to Kent, said: “Our Kent stations will remain closed throughout 2023 and 2024. We will provide an update should anything change regarding this.

“We understand this is disappointing for the local communities, and we will continue to work closely and openly with the local councils on the future of the stations.”