Rail closure will be 'worth it in the long run'

Network Rail will be working to renew 13 miles of high voltage power cables on the route

Network Rail has said the imminent 10-day closure of a rail line that runs between Surrey and Kent will be "worth it in the long run".

From Saturday until 25 August buses will replace Southern trains on the Redhill to Tonbridge line as 13 miles (20.9km) of high voltage power cables are renewed between Nutfield and Leigh.

Paul Prentice from Network Rail said renewing the stretch of cable would help "provide a more stable power supply to all of the electrical systems along the track".

"We'll also be replacing worn out rails near Edenbridge, as well as undertaking maintenance work to improve the resilience of railway structures," he added.

Rail replacement buses will run across the line for the 10 days

The railway embankment near Edenbridge will be strengthened with a 360m- (1,181ft) long steel wall either side of the track following disruption caused by landslips in recent years.

"It's a really substantial piece of engineering," Mr Prentice said.

Further work will see 11 bridges undergo structural inspections and 200m (656ft) of rail replaced at Godstone.