General Article Five years on and high-speed rail has ‘transformed the economic fortunes of Ashford’

Topic Selected: Sustainable Transport
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140 mph trains have helped make the international town a Mecca for businesses, residents, retailers and investors.

The UK’s only domestic high-speed rail service celebrates its fifth anniversary in December – and for one rapidly expanding Kent town, the 140mph train service ‘has transformed its economic fortunes’.

High-speed 1 trains (HS1) slashed journey times from Ashford to the capital by more than half to just 38 minutes when it launched in December 2009.

Five years on and Ashford busines...

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