Campaigners fighting to reopen Folkestone East station say they have had people “queuing up” to support the idea.

Results from a series of door-to-door surveys carried out by the Shepway Green Party in east Folkestone showed 85% of residents were in favour of a campaign to reopen the station near Southern Way, which closed in 1965.

There were six people (9%) who opposed the idea with some saying parking issues in the area concerned them.

But campaigners say it is capable of holding 500 car parking spaces on the former goods yard and being so close to many homes they would expect people to walk.

They say reopening could be a vital link to ease road congestion into the harbour area in connection with the Remembrance Line Association’s plans to introduce a tram system from Folkestone West to the harbour, while residents in the east of the town would have a more accessible railway station.

Green county councillor for Hythe, Martin Whybrow, said: “If you get off at Folkestone West you sort of think ‘where’s Folkestone’?

“We had people queuing up to sign the petition and had people who remembered using it. The platforms are still there and it’s a big site.”

David Horton, party member and part of the campaign team, said: “It could be the breath of life coming in to the harbour area.

“It’s not just about commuting, it’s not just about the trains coming out but what’s coming in to Folkestone.”

Folkestone East: as it once was

Another part of the Green’s campaign is to save cutbacks in services from Westenhanger and Sandling.

In December, Southeastern proposed to cut off-peak services to one an hour at the two stations from the current two per hour.

Cllr Whybrow added: “My view is that Southeastern have deliberately ruined the mainline service to push people on to the premium line.

“We’re opposed to these stations having their services slashed. There’s a proposal going in from KCC to extend the Victoria to Dover service through Ashford and would fill in the gap.”

This would also potentially provide passengers from Folkestone, Sandling and Westenhanger with a direct service through to Maidstone without needing to change at Ashford.

Comments from residents in their responses included one calling it a “brilliant idea”:

• “East Folkestone is fast becoming a slum area. Opening the station would regenerate.”

• “It would give a boost to the area, which is badly needed.”

• “Would like trams in Folkestone, not more lorries to the Harbour.”

• “On the tram system, one hundred percent support it, it would create an important thread for regenerating Folkestone and would encourage private investment.”

• “Good for business and for community spirit.”

• “I work on the railway as a train driver and it is very apparent to me that privatisation of the railway has cost the public a lot of money.”

It began service with the name Folkestone Junction in December 1843 both for the main line to London and boat train for Boulogne via the harbour.

Use of Folkestone Junction declined with the use of Folkestone Harbour station which opened in 1849.

More customers drifted away to use Folkestone West, opened in 1863, and Folkestone Central, opened in 1884.

Folkestone Junction was renamed Folkestone East in 1962 but closed three years later.