Kent is an English county in the south east of the country. It shares some of its outlying areas with the outer reaches of Greater London, and its largest towns include Maidstone, Rochester and Canterbury.Kent is a hugely important county to the British rail network. Not only is it connected to central London, it is the gateway to mainland Europe through the Eurostar service. As well as Chatham, Folkestone and Ebbsfleet stations, Ashford International operates High Speed 1 services to Paris and the south of England. The South Eastern Mainline, The Hastings Line and the Medway Valley Line all operate in the county, so employment opportunities in Kent are plentiful - perhaps more than in any other county of the UK.Amongst the largest employers of staff in Kent are Eurostar, First Great Eastern and Thameslink. Network Rail and specialist maintenance contractors also employ engineers and labourers to maintain and repair the network of tracks in the area. The county's proximity to London makes it popular with commuters, so the rail network is extremely busy. Recruitment agencies are often looking for train drivers, platform guards and conductors to undertake employment for some of the area's most high profile services.Kent has one of the most modern and efficient rail networks in Europe, and that means the competition for jobs is fierce. However, those with specialist skills and relevant experience should have a better than average chance of finding employment.