GETTING AROUND
As a Garden City, Whitecliffe follows the principles of aiming to provide as many sustainable transport options as possible. A Transport Review Group has been set up with a guiding role related to the delivery of public transport and monitoring traffic management. The whole design of Whitecliffe ensures that movement within, into and out of the development will be easiest by walking, cycling and public transport to promote wellbeing and quality of life.
Whitecliffe benefits from excellent public transport links to all parts of the country. Located 19 miles to the South East of Central London, Whitecliffe is in a key location, next to Bluewater Shopping Centre and Ebbsfleet International Train Station, with its 19-minute journey to Central London. Eurostar also ran trains to Europe from Ebbsfleet International Station and stopped just after the pandemic. Eurostar is now reviewing if this service will restart from Ebbsfleet.
These outstanding transport links are completed by the A2(M) which runs along the Northern boundary and the M25 which only 3 miles away.
Gocompare has designed this fuel price calculator and guidance to help drivers plan their journey and cut down on fuel use.
A strategy for parking and management measures is in place for Whitecliffe and a copy can be found here.
Fastrack
Fastrack is the high-quality transport concept for the Thames Gateway area brought by Arriva. State of the art vehicles follow a designated Fastrack route, stopping at bus stop stations with real time displays.
The Fastrack corridor is a central route through each of the Whitecliffe villages, crossing Southfleet Road on the eastern side and connecting to the ‘shopper’s paradise’ that is Bluewater Shopping Centre in the west, via the Bean Road Tunnel. The 80m tunnel will create a new dedicated pedestrian, cycle and bus route to Bluewater from Whitecliffe. The Fastrack route through Castle Hill, Ashmere and Alkerden will be open in 2023, when 90% of residents will be within 5 minutes of a Fastrack stop.
Click here to find out more.
Train connections
Ebbsfleet International Station
Regular trains from Ebbsfleet International Station run to London with around a 19-minute journey to St Pancras. The station offers 5,000 secure parking spaces and a handy Park and Ride facility for residents, as well as around 100 covered cycle parking spaces. For more information about the station and its facilities click here.
Travel times:
St Pancras International – 19 mins
Gillingham – 29 mins
London Bridge – 38 mins
Swanscombe Rail Station
Swanscombe Rail Station provides connections to Dartford and London via Southeastern and Thameslink services. The station has six cycle spaces. For more information about journeys from Swanscombe, click here.
Trainline
Trainline is Europe's leading train and coach app. They work with 270 rail and coach companies to offer customers travel to thousands of destinations in and across 45 countries in Europe. Their aim is to bring together all rail, coach and other travel services into one simple experience so people can get the best prices and smart, real-time travel info on the go. For more information visit: https://www.thetrainline.com/
Arriva Bus
A new Arrivaclick 'flexible' bus service launched at Castle Hill in December 2020. It runs throughout Castle Hill and to/from Ebbsfleet International Station and Swanscombe station. A copy of the timetable can be found here
Footpaths/cycling/walking
A large network of footpaths and cycleways is being planned through all the villages in Whitecliffe, connecting to the existing networks. The central location of the Education Hub ensures maximum opportunities for walking and cycling.
Enterprise Car Club
Enterprise Car Club is an hourly, self-service car rental company, available to members 24/7/365. This is the only car club in the Garden City and provides members with another sustainable transport option. Two vehicles are in dedicated spaces at Castle Hill Community Centre and the number of vehicles on site will increase with demand. There is currently one hybrid vehicle and one electric vehicle. For more information on how to join click here.
Car Sharing
Kent County Council offer a car-sharing scheme – a great way to save costs, meet new people, save wear and tear on your own vehicle and reduce pollution. Or, consider setting up your own arrangements with your neighbours if you're travelling in the same direction. Find out more here.
Community Transport
Community transport provides bus or car services if people cannot access public transport. The community transport programme is organised by Kent County Council, with further information provided here.