Potential threats to Eurostar's monopoly on the Channel Tunnel could boost chances of its trains stopping in Kent again, councillors think.

Tunnel operator GetLink says it is prepared to offer a subsidy of €50m to help other companies run trains on the cross-Channel route, and at least five are said to be interested.

Now council leaders in Kent think the competition could "encourage a return to our existing stations" as Eurostar knows rivals are "waiting in the wings".

Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, Dutch company Heuro and Spain's Evolyn have expressed interest in competing with Eurostar, which has not stopped at Ashford or Ebbsfleet since the first Covid lockdown in March 2020.

The company says its Kent stations “will remain closed throughout 2024 and 2025”, sparking further anger among passengers in the county who have to travel to St Pancras International in London to use the service.

Speaking at a meeting of Ashford Borough Council’s joint transportation board on Tuesday, Kent County Council transport boss Cllr Neil Baker (Con) said the authority is "happy to work with any operator" that is willing to use the county’s stations.

“Along with Ashford and Dartford councils, we want to see the returns of services to Kent rather than through Kent," he said.

"I do expect there to be movement, I expect there to be competition in the next few years which will encourage a return to our existing stations

“I wouldn’t want to put a timescale on it – my own gut feeling on it is it will come down to competition.

“It’s almost that the threat of competition will incentivise the existing operator.”

But earlier this month, The Times reported that corporate filings from Eurostar said competition is unlikely until 2028 at the earliest.

It stems from delays in establishing a new regulator of the Channel Tunnel on the British side, which is necessary since leaving the European Union.

Previously a joint French-British organisation regulated cross-Channel trains, but with Britain now out of the EU, the British government needs to establish a new one.

It comes as a petition calling for the return of Eurostar services to Kent has received almost 57,000 signatures since it was launched in March, and the company appears to have turned round its financial fortunes.

Cllr Diccon Spain (Lab), who sits on Ashford Borough Council, is also a spokesman for Bring Back Euro Trains - the campaign which created the petition.

He argues that Eurostar may be spurred into action by the potential competition “waiting in the wings”.

“It is reliant I think on a realistic threat from a competitor to see them actually return to Ebbsfleet and Ashford,” he said.

“I think that may happen over the next couple of years, whether it's Eurostar or a competitor, I think that possibility is there.

"There's a real London-centric view on things at the moment and we want to get out of that, we want people to think about the potential for Ashford and Ebbsfleet as regional hubs.”

Cllr Paul Bartlett (Con) told members how Eurostar is looking to increase its fleet of trains from 51 to 67 "in order to reach its target of 30 million passengers by 2030".

"The company has also restructured its total debt down to €650m and has recovered from Covid," he said.

Eurostar's accounts for the 2023-24 financial year show passenger numbers were up 22% to 18.6 million.

Cllr Bartlett added: “There was no news of trains now stopping at Ashford or Ebbsfleet for that matter, but financially they are clearly making good progress so we’re confident of progress in the next year or so.”

In a statement, Eurostar refused to comment on the potential competition, and instead reiterated a previous statement.

“Our Kent stations will remain closed throughout 2024 and 2025," it said.

“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.”