Passenger warning ahead of 10-day rail line closure

Rail passengers have been warned to check before they travel ahead of a line closure between Redhill and Tonbridge

Rail passengers have been warned to check before they travel ahead of a 10-day line closure.

Buses will replace Southern trains from 16 to 25 August as 13 miles (20.9km) of high voltage power cables are renewed between Nutfield and Leigh in Kent.

Work on the line between Redhill and Tonbridge, Kent, to protect the track from landslips and replace worn-out rails will also take place, Network Rail said.

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail Sussex route director, said: "We know there is never a good time to close the railway and appreciate passengers managing changes to their journey while the line is closed."

The railway embankment near Edenbridge will be strengthened with a 360-metre-long steel wall either side of the track following disruption caused by landslips in recent years.

Additionally, 11 bridges will undergo structural inspections and 200m of rail will be replaced at Godstone.

During the works, there will be no trains between Redhill and Tonbridge

During the works, there will be no trains between Redhill and Tonbridge. Instead, replacement buses will run.

Journeys are expected to take longer than usual and passengers are urged to allow extra time, Southern said.

Ms McAuliffe added: "By working over ten consecutive days in August, we can get the work done much more quickly and avoid weekend after weekend of bus replacement services, which we know is frustrating for our passengers.

"It also means we won't disrupt school and college students, who make a significant percentage of passengers on the route in term time."

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