Cllr Diccon Spain

Ashford Borough Council Councillor for Bockhanger ward | Political Liaison Officer, Bring Back Euro Trains (BBET)

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

In 2006 Ashford International had 618,000 international passengers. Sadly at the moment @Eurostar is still forcing travel via London St Pancras only. This is not best for our country's economy or international travellers looking for more choice + cheaper and sustainable travel.

[Emma_MacLennan @Emma_MacLennan]

@Heidi_Labour @NewsEurostar @DB_Presse 2 days ago I spent an extra 2+ hours and £66 travelling from Ashford to catch @NewsEurostar only to travel past Ashford en route to Paris for a critical meeting. It will create jobs, boost trade and make intl travel easier & greener to restore services to Ashford. A no-brainer.

[Emma_MacLennan @Emma_MacLennan]

Boarding the @Eurostar in St Pancras among huge crowds, then passing Ashford 40 minutes later, having set off from Ashford 3hours ago, is frustrating + extra expense £66!! Let’s make Ashford Intl International again asap! I know @sojanuk agrees! @kenteurotrains

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

We are moving in the right direction to honour the priorities residents set in our 2021 survey.

Huge thanks to residents Ann Bayross and Wendy Pole for being stalwarts of this campaign over the years.

We finally have a practical path forward to unlock the site.

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

Bockhanger & Bybrook Community Centre Update

Yesterday, Cllr Alan Dean and I held a critical on-site meeting with @AshfordCouncil Director Maria Stevens.

Given ABC owns the site, their support is the only way to unlock this & deliver what we've been pushing for since 2019.

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

The message from the meeting was clear:

Designs for a centre are only useful if there is a solid financial plan to build them.

We are working with the Council to unlock the budget and ensure the new centre is financially sustainable—just like the hubs in Repton and Singleton.

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

Great to attend this morning's HS1 Sub-Committee on Growth, chaired by @sojanuk, to help restore international rail to Kent.

Pleased to participate in the discussions with Martin Jones (ORR), joining a united group of MPs, council leaders & officers, @vincelucas9 , & HS1 reps.

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

@Trenitaliano “..is a very formidable operator with huge experience. … It is not going away..”

“...while I cannot reveal many of the details … within two weeks it will be coming back with a response…”

https://t.co/LUVQRRbMOf

#InternationalRail #Trenitalia #Virgin #Kent

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

Delighted to be a guest on a special episode of the excellent Green Signals podcast. This episode is about what happens next with Virgin Trains and Cross Channel rail services. Watch out for an exclusive heads-up from me about Trenitalia towards the end.

https://t.co/BYg0JXXDtO

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

A few days ago, the plan for Ashford's international services was a distant 'maybe'. Today, it's a £1 billion public promise. Here's the story of what happened in between.

https://t.co/NzTs8xMf8X

#BringBackEuroTrains #Ashford #Kent #HighSpeedRail #CommunityAction #Investment

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

https://t.co/0woatSqMsh

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

Vindication for our campaign! Huge news in @thetimes: @FSitaliane / @Trenitalia_Group plan to reopen Ashford International with a £1bn investment.
We met their UK MD last week & shared our petition insights report with their execs in Aug. Await @ORR_news decision.
#Ashford

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

What a day for the #BringBackEuroTrains campaign!

Following yesterday's summit with the Rail Minister, new operators & partners, the momentum for returning international services to Ashford & Ebbsfleet is building.

Thanks to our 77k+ supporters. :) https://t.co/OHJuQ91C6l

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

https://t.co/tkOZZn5JeJ

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

It's not often we're in agreement with the incumbent monopoly, but Eurostar's General Sec., Gareth Williams, just hit the nail on the head.
​His comments on the need for more depot capacity for all operators reveal a key flaw in the UK's approach to cross-Channel rail. 1/4
​👇

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

The task for the UK Government isn't to manage scarcity. It's to eliminate it.
​Stop rationing depot space and start facilitating the urgent development of NEW depot capacity. Let's build for tomorrow's growth.
4/4
​#CrossChannelRail #HS1 #Rail #Infrastructure #TransportPolicy

[Vince Maple #ProudToBeMedway @vincemaple]

One thing that would help the whole of Kent would be the re-opening of Ebbsfleet and Ashford for international train services.

More than 64,000 have signed the petition

On #KentDay make sure you add your voice

https://t.co/zwAAMzzzNF

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

Spoke w/ potential new operators Evolyn, Gemini & Virgin planning exciting routes! Made the case STRONGLY for Ashford Int (>859k passengers/year) - pleased operators are considering it. Rail renaissance happening! Exciting times! 🇪🇺🇬🇧 #ChannelTunnel #Evolyn #GeminiTrains #Virgin

[Cllr Diccon Spain @dicconspain]

Great energy at the London St Pancras Highspeed event (Tuesday)! 🚆 Real momentum building for UK-Europe rail. Inspired by CEO Robert Sinclair & reassured all HS1 stations (inc Stratford, Ebbsfleet, Ashford!) are key to future plans, not just St Pancras. #HighSpeedRail #Ashford