Thanet Parkway station opens to rail customers

By Nicky Godding

1 August 2023

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Kent’s first new railway station in eight years, Thanet Parkway, has opened to customers bringing the capital closer to the coast and opening up Thanet to new jobs and new business.

The opening of Thanet Parkway will improve rail connectivity between East Kent, London and the wider south east region by providing access to regular high speed train services to St Pancras and additional peak services to Charing Cross and Cannon Street.

The first train to arrive at Thanet Parkway station was the 04:58 which left on time and was due to arrive into London’s St. Pancras at 06:25.

Located between Ramsgate and Minster, Thanet Parkway will boost the local and wider Kent economy by supporting connections to new housing and new business and job opportunities, particularly at surrounding business parks in Thanet and Dover, as well as supporting the area’s leisure and tourism industry.

As well as rail connections for London and across Kent, Thanet Parkway provides the potential for an integrated transport hub in the future.

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A new road provides access to the station from the A299 Hengist Way, with parking available for 293 vehicles, including 16 for Blue Badge holders, as well as several charging points for electric vehicles.

Pick up and drop off zones have also been set out, along with a station bus stop which will be served by an electric minibus shuttle to Discovery Park, which can be reached in just six minutes.

The station and level crossing works has been jointly funded by the Government’s Department for Transport (DfT); South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP); Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Thanet District Council; and Kent County Council.

The investment is part of Network Rail’s Thanet Corridor Enhancements Programme which includes upgrades to Dibleys, Ships Meadow and Grove Ferry crossings to permit line speed increases between Ashford, Canterbury West and Ramsgate.

Steve White, Southeastern’s Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome another - fully accessible - station to our network offering sustainable travel options for customers: each customer who parks at this new station and takes our all-electric railway to London will reduce their CO2 emissions by approximately 11 kilos compared to driving. Additionally, the station offers charging points for electric vehicles as well as ample parking for cycles, supporting aspirations for active travel.

“Return fares on our HighSpeed services start from under £40 and on our mainline services from under £30. With some railcards you can get a discount of up to 50% on the cost of your ticket including advanced fares.

“We are also thinking about the future and the potential Thanet Parkway has to drive economic development, by serving new and planned housing developments in the area. We are proud to have partnered with Kent County Council and Network Rail in delivering this project.

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.