ABOUT 200 rail jobs are on track for Kent. Rail Europe is opening a new call centre and UK headquarters at Kings Hill business park at West Malling. The subsidiary of SNCF, the French railway operator, chose Kent after rejecting alternative sites across Europe.

The decision is a tonic for the county amid fears that the terrorist attacks on America on September 11 would damage its campaign for more jobs.

It is also a coup for Rouse Kent, developers of Kings Hill, and Locate in Kent, the agency that promotes the county to firms as a good place to do business. Both worked hard for almost two years to land the Rail Europe deal.

Rail Europe Group specialises in continental rail travel, handling bookings for Eurostar, French Motorail and French Travel Service holidays in Paris, Disneyland and the French regions. The operation is presently based in Piccadilly, London, and Waterloo.

Many jobs will be filled by existing staff moving from London to Kent. But Rail Europe is likely to need dozens of local people.

Construction of its new 20,000 sq ft headquarters, until now given the codename Project Eden, is well advanced, and the first staff are expected to move in next February.

Robert Mason, managing director of Rail Europe, said: “As market leader in the sales and marketing of European rail based leisure travel, we have found a high quality environment at Kings Hill, conducive to attracting and retaining staff.

“When compared to London, Kings Hill also provides opportunities for significant cost efficiencies. This is important to the group as we aim to continue to experience the rapid growth we have enjoyed in the last few years.”

Paul Wookey, Locate in Kent chief executive, said Rail Europe chose Kings Hill because it was the “high quality value for money solution” with access to a skilled workforce.

Kings Hill’s international tenants include BT, the Woolwich, Standard Life, Jupiter, Marsh UK, Aventis Pharma, Genzyme Biochemicals and Kimberly-Clark.