High Speed Trains Increase Ashford’s Unrivalled Connectivity

Ashford, UK

Home to the new Hitachi maintenance facilities for the high-speed trains operating on High Speed 1, Ashford is increasing its profile in the transport and logistics sector. With Channel ports, the Channel Tunnel, the M20 motorway, Eurostar International Train Station and high-speed train services to central London (37 minutes), Ashford now has unrivaled connectivity in the UK.

Sub-sectors such as rail transport maintenance, manufacture of transport equipment, land transport, and distribution are thriving in Ashford, and with the local growth agenda including a target of creating 28,000 new jobs by 2031, large areas of land are being allocated for commercial and industrial development.

With 16 existing business parks, Ashford has a lot of existing stock to facilitate this market, including sites with railway access, and that are close proximity to motorway junctions on the M20.

With 360 million customers within a days drive, and as a central hub on the South East rail network, Ashford’s location has driven the presence of transport and logistics sector companies. As well as customers, the location also provides a skilled workforce. Ashford has over 4,000 employees within the Transport and communications sector - 9% of the total workforce, compared with only 6% nationally -
and offers flexibility in the local labour market – full-time, part-time, temporary, self-employed and shift workers are widely available within and around the town.

Logistics companies that are present in Ashford include Hitachi, Bombardier, Orbital Marketing Group, Network Rail, Eurostar, Southeastern Railways and Pararail.

For more information on logistics in Ashford, contact Andrew Osborne, Economic Development Manager, on +44 (0)1732 520 733