Eurostar has announced its services to the continent will not return to Kent this year.

No trains destined for Europe have pulled into Ashford or Ebbsfleet stations since the start of the first coronavirus lockdown in March 2020.

The withdrawal of services has sparked anger among some passengers who now have to travel to London to catch services.

Explaining the firm is concentrating its efforts on stabilising the business, a spokesman said: “Eurostar services will not stop at Ebbsfleet or Ashford International or go direct to Disney in 2024, and we cannot make any commitment for 2025.

“Even though we are close to getting back on track, with 11 million passengers travelling with us on our cross-channel routes in 2023, we will continue to face the financial consequences of the pandemic for a number of years.

“Borders have also become more complex, and the expected launch of the EU’s Entry/Exit System invites us to caution.”

Speaking to the Telegraph, they added: “We are continuing to focus on our core routes, where demand is highest, and on stabilising our business, our operations and customer experience.”

A campaign group made up of residents and business owners launched a petition in March to see how much support there was for the services to return.

It racked up thousands of signatures in a matter of weeks and continues to gain support months on.

More than 500 businesses also shared their views on the lack of international rail services and the impact it is having on trade in a KCC survey.

And the topic reached the House of Commons when Ashford MP Damian Green instigated a debate last year.

During discussions, Minister of State for Rail at the Department for Transport Huw Merriman was keen for services to return to the county.

Meanwhile, MPs from across Kent, East Sussex and south London called for a resolution to be found as soon as possible.

Eurostar’s general secretary Gareth Williams previously said the firm wants to bring its services back to Kent - but the impact of Brexit and "hundreds of millions" of pounds of Covid debt means it cannot yet afford to.

The suspension of services means those travelling to the continent from Kent have to get to London St Pancras International before re-boarding and travelling back through the county and onwards through the Channel Tunnel.