Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate yesterday (November 12), Daniel Francis, Bexleyheath and Crayford MP, and Jim Dickson, Dartford MP, said that ministers should make an extension of the commuter line to Ebbsfleet “a priority”.
The Elizabeth Line currently has its terminus south of the Thames at Abbey Wood.
In 2021, C2E Partnership, an informal group of authorities in south east London and Kent, submitted a business case to the previous Government for an extension of the route.
Mr Francis said that there still has not been a formal response to these plans, but that there “remains a strong case to extend the Elizabeth line to Ebbsfleet”.
He added: “[An extension would] serve residents in the thousands of new homes built there, in order to interchange with high-speed services and hopefully, in the future, with reinstated services to mainland Europe.”
Eurostar stopped using Ebbsfleet International four years ago as passenger numbers dropped during the pandemic – but there have been calls for these services to be reinstated.
Mr Dickson urged the Government to look again at the three options presented in the 2021 business case.
The first would have seen the Elizabeth line extended to Northfleet, Ebbsfleet and Gravesend, sharing existing tracks with National Rail services.
Another option would have seen the route extended to Dartford on new tracks.
A final proposal would have kept the Elizabeth line terminus at Abbey Wood, and instead increased the frequency of National Rail services, as well as introducing a new rapid bus transit service from Abbey Wood to Ebbsfleet.
“I am somewhat sceptical about the third option, and there are significant challenges to sharing track with the existing National Rail services, making the first option difficult,” Mr Dickson said.
The proposal for Elizabeth line trains to terminate at Dartford would have seen services also stopping in Belvedere, Erith, and Slade Green.
Responding on behalf of the government, parliamentary under-secretary for transport Simon Lightwood said that there are currently no plans to extend the line from Abbey Wood to Ebbsfleet International.
But he said that land along the route remains protected for any future development of a new spur.
Mr Lightwood added that Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for the Elizabeth line.
