Thanet Parkway station, Kent’s first new railway station in eight years has been inaugurated by the Rail Minister Huw Merriman and representatives from Network Rail, Southeastern, Kent County Council, Thanet District Council and the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.
Guests also took a short trip to Margate on Trainbow, the first of the Class 395 Javelin fleet that has had a major interior refresh, as part of a GBP 27 million (EUR 31 million) upgrade programme.
“The opening of Thanet Parkway is the latest example of the Government’s commitment to making rail journeys across the UK more accessible and I’m delighted to see this impressive new station already making a difference in the community,” the Rail Minister said.
Thanet Parkway station improves rail connectivity between East Kent, London and the wider south-east region. The new station brings the capital closer to the coast and opens up Thanet to new jobs and new business as well as offers new connections for leisure journeys in East Kent.
Passengers travel from Thanet to London in 70 minutes providing customers with access to regular high speed Southeastern train services to St Pancras and additional peak services to Charing Cross and Cannon Street.
The station has two 250 metre platforms that can accommodate spacious 12-car trains, offering high speed services to St Pancras International via Ashford International in as little as 70 minutes, as well as Mainline connections to London terminals and across Kent and Medway.
As well as rail connections for London and across Kent, Thanet Parkway provides the potential for an integrated transport hub in the future. The station has a huge car park as befitting a parkway station with parking available for 293 vehicles, including 16 for Blue Badge holders, as well as 12 charging points for electric vehicles, with a new road providing access to the station from the A299 Hengist Way.
It also provides connections to a wide range of leisure destinations enabling customers to visit places such as Canterbury (17 mins), Margate (16 mins), Ashford International (32 mins) and Broadstairs (11 mins).
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