Yes, it was for pax only. The council was also in talks with Network Rail about improving the track speed between Ramsgate and the HS1 junction at Ashford.
Manston's USP was very short "aircraft landing to truck departing airfield" times. A cargo load could be on the way out of the airfield within 40 minutes of the aircraft touching down. With decent links to the local motorway network and hence London, cargo into Manston could be in the London markets before Heathrow cargo had been processed at the airport. There was never a need therefore for a cargo railroad.