New international trains will pull into a Kent station after European officials agreed to jointly fund signal improvements.

A £4 million upgrade to signals at Ashford International Station has been given the green light, securing 1,000 jobs and opening the doors to new operators to use the platforms.

The improvements mean the town will not be bypassed by modern cross-Channel trains, which would have been unable to stop using the present systems.

The European Commission has agreed to pay half the cost of the upgrade, with the South East Local Enterprise Partnership paying the rest.

It means the town could be welcoming services from the likes of German rail company Deutsche Bahn, which was granted an operating certificate to run passenger services through the Channel Tunnel in 2013 but delayed a launch date while new trains were ordered.

"The area’s success is based on our excellent transport links and this decision by the EU is a big step forward in enhancing them..." - Damian Green, Ashford MP

The town is already one of Kent’s best connected, just 38 minutes from London and direct trains to Paris, Brussels, Lille, Marseille, Lyon and Avignon.

Ashford MP Damian Green said: “This is a very good day for Ashford. The area’s success is based on our excellent transport links and this decision by the EU is a big step forward in enhancing them. It shows what can be achieved by action at local, national and European level.”

Ashford Borough Council leader Cllr Gerry Clarkson said: “This is very good news, not only for Ashford, but the whole of the South East.

“The co-funding will enable the next generation of Eurostar trains to continue to stop at Ashford International Station, and make it easier to stop in Ashford for any new operator on the market, something which is important to our growing reputation as the UK’s international town.”

HS1 chief executive Nicola Shaw said:“I welcome the fact that the town will continue to benefit from excellent high speed rail services to the continent.”

Investment and relocation agency Locate in Kent said Ashford is the best business location in the county in a study this year, thanks largely to its connectivity.

The investment in signalling – from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility – will secure 1,000 jobs already based in Ashford, while a further 1,000 jobs will be created through the continued growth of Ashford and the attraction of access to international services.

Matthew Balfour, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “This signalling upgrade will ensure that Ashford continues to be served by international rail services, and opens the way for other operators to develop through services to Europe in the future.”