Network Rail: Tunbridge Wells to Hastings line to close over Easter

The line will be closed for nine days

The train line between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings will be closed for nine days from the Easter weekend.

Buses will replace Southeastern train services while the embankments are strengthened to help prevent the likelihood and impact of landslips.

It will be the third closure of the line since October 2021.

Network Rail said a single closure would cause less disruption to passengers than closing the railway over a series of weekends.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail's Kent route director, said: "It's a really complex part of the railway which was built in the 1850s along very hilly ground, which meant that the Victorian engineers had to excavate steep cuttings, long tunnels and build miles of embankment.

"While there is never a good time to close the railway, completing the work in an extended closure means that we can avoid causing more disruption to passengers by closing the railway over a series of weekends."

Scott Brightwell, Southeastern's operations and safety director, said: "We know that closing the railway for a short period isn't ideal, but it is essential to complete the improvement works.

"Our message to our customers is to check their individual journeys on the Southeastern website or app."

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