Bewilderment was the overwhelming reaction when Network Rail and the county council first revealed almost 10 years ago they were considering jointly building a new railway station in Kent.

Wedged between stations in Ramsgate and the nearby village of Minster and only really accessible by car, the main questions being asked were, “Who is it for?” and “Couldn’t the money be better spent?”

But six months down the line, rail and county hall bosses continue to insist the £44 million Thanet Parkway is worth it.

They say it will encourage economic growth as well as meet future demand from an expected surge in commuters once thousands of new homes are built in the district.

Thanet Parkway's main selling point is that it offers high-speed, 75-minute journeys to London St Pancras, easy parking and is “future-proofed” for growth in passengers.

The original budget was about £11 million but, like so many infrastructure projects involving public money, by the time it opened to passengers on July 31 last year, the bill had quadrupled.

Of that, Kent County Council has spent £7 million - but its full contribution could still rise further as the final account is yet to be agreed with Network Rail and other contractors.

Boasting 250m platforms to cater for long trains and a near-300 space car park, it is a vast site, considering it has no other amenities like a cafe or shop.

But then, as an out-of-town parkway station, it is designed for passengers to simply turn up and go, rather than linger.

That was the case when KentOnline visited this week and saw a handful of commuters scurrying to catch the 7am train.

There were a few more for the 7.30am and 8.05am services but nothing like you would expect a busy commuter station to be.

But Southeastern bosses and KCC say they are encouraged by passenger numbers, having set a business case target of 100,000 passenger journeys for the first year.

Figures obtained by KentOnline show the number of times Thanet Parkway has been used has risen from 5,624 in the first month, to a peak of 8,118 in December.

However, there was a dip to 7,563 in January when, midway through the month, a daily £5.10 parking charge was introduced, following a period of free usage since the station opened.

Some commuters KentOnline spoke to are certainly not happy about it.

“It’s a bit of a cheek, to be honest,” said Steve Brookman, an IT manager who travels to London a couple of times a week for work.

“Obviously, that might put some people off.”

Mr Brookman heads from his home in Westgate to Thanet Parkway because he says the station and quick journey time work for him. He also prefers it to the north Kent line, which goes from Margate to the capital via the Medway towns.

Another commuter, Brenda Gillian from Ramsgate, was also disappointed by the charge adding to her weekly spend. She said she had noticed a drop in users since the fee was introduced by KCC, which manages the parking.

But she also found Thanet Parkway convenient because parking at Ramsgate is limited.

Yet Ramsgate station still has more than 10 times the usage of Thanet Parkway, even though some commuters have migrated to the new station.

Numbers at nearby Minster station, where the high-speed service does not stop, appear to have been unaffected by the opening of Thanet Parkway, averaging about 8,000 passenger journeys a month.

A report by consultants justifying the Thanet Parkway project for KCC said "poor accessibility" in east Kent was a critical barrier to inward investment, undermining the potential for regeneration and jobs.

It added: "Thanet Parkway station addresses these issues by capitalising on the High Speed 1 services and the Journey Time Improvement scheme, which together will bring Thanet to around one hour’s journey time of London, thereby improving the perception of east Kent as a place for investment, especially at nearby business parks such as Discovery Park."

This week, a KCC spokesman said the authority was pleased with usage of Thanet Parkway which “continues to grow in line with our expectations”.

“We have always been clear that the station is an investment for the future, delivering on KCC’s key ambition to provide infrastructure first before development,” they said.

So far, Thanet Parkway has received mixed reviews on Google, mustering an average of 3.5 stars.

“It’s a nice enough station but I don't see the point of it, “ says Philip Ballintine

“Living in Ramsgate, it's just as easy to walk or take a bus to the main station and I can get a coffee/sandwich and go to the toilet if necessary.”

“The 'build and they will come' logic is flawed because Ramsgate station is so close and in a great position for commuters.

“It would have been better to invest the money in the town centre to attract new people and businesses.”

Jasper Moorhouse brands it a waste of public money.

“Only about seven people max to be seen in an afternoon getting in the train, “ he writes.

“The station itself is an incredibly dull-looking structure. How they can warrant this is just baffling.

“Maybe a few years ago, pre-pandemic. But I think the money would have been better spent upgrading existing rail facilities or put into Manston airport.”

But Richard Belcher says the new station is “amazing”.

“Makes getting to London a lot easier with the car park and access,” he says, adding: “Commuting is a breeze now.”

And Andrew Jones praises the regular trains and plenty of parking.

"Not the prettiest of places but does what it's supposed to,” he adds.

One of the most vocal critics of the new station remains Labour county councillor for Margate, Barry Lewis, who is particularly concerned about the rising cost to the cash-strapped authority.

According to recent documents, KCC has contributed more than £7 million so far but the papers say the council is committed to contributions of "up to £17.81m".

Cllr Lewis said: "The fact that no one seems to know or is unwilling to say how much these extra costs will be, indicates to me there is a big problem.”