THE departure lounge at Ebbsfleet International Station is too small, according to passengers on the first Eurostar train.

Several people complained about the "cramped" lounge, saying it was half the size of the lounge at Ashford International, the station controversially downgraded by the loss of many services to Paris and all services to Brussels.

They also said there were not enough seats for people waiting for a train.

The £100 million station opened for business on Monday, November 19, with a low-key ribbon-cutting ceremony by station chief Stephen Fielder.

Forty business and civic chiefs joined the 5.38am train to Paris on a trip run by Kent Thames Gateway Chamber of Commerce. They weer among around 170 people boarding the train.

Businesswoman Alison Bailey, a chamber council member, said: "The departure lounge is not as big as I anticipated. When there are three or four trains coming in and out, that’s going to become an issue."

Jeremy Kite, leader of Dartford Council, expressed surprise that the station was "so compact."

But a Eurostar spokesman said the station had been designed by London and Continental Railways and the size was right.

He said: "We think Ebbsfleet works as a station, it’s the right size for the number of passengers we expect to be using it. We are also sure it will be a good experience."