School holiday 9-day railway closure between Hastings, Bexhill and Tunbridge Wells - travellers warned to plan ahead
Passengers travelling between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, and Bexhill and Hastings, are being warned to plan ahead during work due to take place in the autumn half term from Saturday, October 25, and Sunday, November 2.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: "Buses will replace Southeastern trains between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, and Southern trains between Bexhill and Hastings for all nine days.
"Engineers will use the time to deliver a wide range of essential upgrades to improve the safety, and performance of the railway."
In the Bo Peep and Hastings tunnels, brickwork will be repaired and drainage upgraded to stop leaks damaging railway equipment within the tunnel.
Nearly a kilometre of old rails, sleepers and ballast will be replaced between Etchingham and Mountfield, and the ballast, the stones that form the track bed, will be replaced between Castle Bridge and Riverhall.
At Frant and Wadhurst, engineers will improve reliability by refurbishing the moveable rails known as switches, which allow trains to change path, as well as track circuits, the part of the signalling system that detects a train’s location, said the spokesperson.
Embankments and cuttings will be stabilised and strengthened at Frant and near Wadhurst, reducing the risk of landslips and delays, they added.
Vegetation will be cleared and rock anchors added to the cutting slope on the approaches to the Mountfield tunnel.
The footbridge at West St Leonards station will be refurbished.
Between Strawberry Hill and Frant, and from Crowhurst to Mountfield, overgrown vegetation will be cleared to keep track safe from debris and falling trees.
The spokesperson said: "There will be no train services between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, and between Bexhill and Hastings throughout the closure.
"A replacement bus service will operate between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, and between Bexhill and Hastings.
"A Southern shuttle train service will run between Ashford and Hastings."
David Davidson, chief operating officer for the South Eastern Railway, said: “We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this essential work. We know that closures are disruptive, and we’re doing everything we can to keep people moving with replacement buses and clear travel information. Getting work done over consecutive days allow us to do more work, more efficiently.
“We’ve invested significantly in the Hastings line in recent years to address challenges that go back to the line’s construction over 170 years ago.
“The work we are doing now is part our continued commitment to improving journeys for passengers”.
Southern customer service director Jenny Saunders said: “The line between Eastbourne and Ashford provides important connectivity for the towns along its route, and these works will help ensure the infrastructure stays reliable for years to come.
“There is never a good time to close the railway, but we will have plenty of staff, and buses, to help passengers complete their journey.”