Advance warning for nine-day rail closure in May

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Part of the line had to close in 2021 after a landslip near Bearsted

Rail passengers in Kent are being asked to plan ahead as a nine-day closure of a route is scheduled for May.

The line between Borough Green & Wrotham and Ashford International, via Maidstone East, will be closed from Saturday 23 May to Sunday 31 May inclusive.

During the closure, buses will replace trains, with services running from Borough Green to London and also from Ashford. Stations that will have no service include West Malling, Maidstone East, Bearsted and Lenham.

Network Rail said it needed to carry out essential upgrades to improve the long‑term reliability of the line, after the route had to close near Bearsted in 2021 due to a landslip.

Works will include improving drainage in the Wheeler Street tunnel between Maidstone East and Bearstead, replacing nearly 2,500 yards of track between Harrietsham and Charing, and the replacement of the level crossing at Ryarsh Lane near West Malling.

David Davidson, chief operating officer for Southeastern Railway, said: "The Ashford to Maidstone East line is an extremely busy part of our railway, but the rock cuttings here are more than 150 years old. As a result, we are seeing an increasing number of weather and ground movement related incidents which cause delays to our customers. We want to fix this, and we need to do the work as quickly as possible over the nine-day closure rather than during a series of disruptive weekends."

Network Rail said detailed travel advice, including ticket acceptance, would be provided before the closure begins.