Train services between Faversham, Canterbury East, and Dover will be replaced by buses during half-term week in February whilst Network Rail engineers carry out major engineering work at six sites along the line to prevent potential landslips.

Between 11th and 18th February, engineers will carry out £3 million-worth of upgrades to stabilise several cuttings and embankments. That will require the removal of thousands of tonnes of earth from sections of cuttings so that the steepness of their sides leading down to the track can be reduced. They will also install rock netting to prevent rocks and earth from falling onto the tracks and trains.

Earlier in 2022, engineers carried out similar landslip prevention work in Devon, alongside the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire, and in Hampshire.

When the line was opened, in order to reduce the maximum gradient where it crossed hillsides, cuttings were built, and embankments were constructed to carry the line across valleys. However, in those days civil engineers knew much less about how steep to make their slopes and what materials to use for building embankments.

On the weekend of Saturday, 7th and Sunday, 8th January, the line will also be closed while preparatory works will take place, and buses will replace trains.

During the work, to help protect and keep the railway safe, a reinforced concrete wall 30-metres long will be installed at the bottom of the cutting at Selling Tunnel, which is one of the sites most at risk from landslips.

Further work being carried out during the line’s closure includes the complete rebuilding of sections of collapsed drainage to stop flooding, which damages the track and signalling equipment and causes delays, and deep cleaning and refurbishment of some stations along the line.

Although the work is scheduled to finish on 18th February, services on Sunday,19th February will start later than normal.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s Kent route director, said: “We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this essential work to prevent future landslips.

“The change in weather patterns means that we’re experiencing drier summers and much wetter winters, and this has a huge impact on a railway that was largely designed and built in the Victorian era when the understanding of construction materials and geology were less advanced than today.
“We constantly monitor embankments and cuttings to keep passengers safe, cautioning trains when sensors detect any movement, however, this has an impact on the punctuality of services.

“The work we are planning over February half-term provides a long-term solution to the risk of landslips on this section of track and allow trains to run at full speed and will also improve the reliability.”

Scott Brightwell, Southeastern’s operations and safety director, said: “We’d like to thank our passengers for their patience while Network Rail carry out this essential work which will result in a more reliable train service. Passengers should check before they travel for replacement bus timetable information at southeasternrailway.co.uk and allow more time for their journeys.”