Eurostar bosses have insisted there is no plan to return to Kent in the next three years – as queues in London force trains to run with hundreds of left empty.

The cross-Channel operator says it is leaving them vacant on trains from the capital to avoid passengers waiting for long periods at the border at St Pancras station.

International trains have not run through Ashford or Ebbsfleet since the beginning of Covid restrictions, with hopes of a return previously scuppered by the pandemic, Brexit and soaring inflation.

The closures have forced those hoping to travel to the continent by train from Kent to board at London St Pancras, and then travel back through the county and through the Channel Tunnel.

Yesterday, Eurostar chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave blamed a reduction in the number of border officials and increased border check times for causing the company to have to cap seats on many services to avoid delays.

But while there are queues of people waiting to get on in London, the international terminals at Ashford and Ebbsfleet remain empty and quiet.

The first departures of the day connecting London with Paris and Brussels – which have a capacity for 900 passengers – are running with 350 seats unsold.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Ms Cazenave, who began her role in October last year, said the time it takes to process passengers at St Pancras had increased by almost 30% compared to pre-Covid.

“We cannot offer enough seats because of this bottleneck at stations," she added.

"If you delay the first train, then you delay the second and then it’s a very bad customer experience.

"Our customers say it’s awful."

However, when contacted by KentOnline today, a spokesman for the company said there had been "no change" in its stance about departures from Kent's two international stops.

"Eurostar services will not stop at Ebbsfleet or Ashford International stations in 2023. We cannot make a commitment for another two to three years," they added.

Ms Cazenave revealed that the disruption also means it is unlikely the operator will resume selling tickets for skiers travelling between London and the Alps in the short-term.

She said: “As long as we are not able to operate as well as possible from a customer experience standpoint in London and Paris, why should we go to Bourg-Saint-Maurice 10 times a year?

“Our main focus now is about fixing this major issue and then we’ll think about what we do in the coming years for these kind of destinations.”

The issue at stations is not “impossible to tackle”, Ms Cazenave insisted.

“We have to be better organised. We have to have more staff from the police. We have to automise more than before.”

Eurostar Group, created following a merger between Eurostar and Thalys – which runs rail services in continental Europe – announced on Tuesday all its trains will operate under the Eurostar brand from later this year.

It is hoped this will lead to smoother ticket-buying and shorter connections for UK passengers travelling between London and German destinations including Cologne and Frankfurt.

A new logo inspired by the North Star was also unveiled, which is a “tribute” to Eurostar’s first symbol when it was created in 1994.

Ms Cazenave said: “Our customers will be able to experience the same quality of service they know and love across our unified network, linking iconic business and leisure destinations across five European countries.

“As Eurostar Group we are in a unique position to spark the next chapter for rail travel, to truly drive the modal shift from road and air to rail.”