Passengers travelling on Southeastern and Southern services between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings and Bexhill and Hastings, are being urged to plan ahead during a nine-day closure this October half term.

From Saturday 25 October to Sunday 2 November 2025, buses will replace trains on these routes to allow engineers to carry out a wide-ranging programme of improvement works aimed at boosting the safety and performance of the railway.

Key works include brickwork repairs and drainage upgrades in the Bo Peep and Hastings tunnels to prevent leaks from damaging vital equipment. Nearly a kilometre of old rails, sleepers and ballast will be replaced between Etchingham and Mountfield, while further ballast renewal will take place between Castle Bridge and Riverhall to help reduce faults and delays.

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At Frant and Wadhurst, engineers will refurbish moveable rails and track circuits, which form part of the signalling system that tracks train positions. Embankments and cuttings at these locations will also be stabilised to minimise the risk of landslips and service disruption.

Additional work includes vegetation clearance and the installation of rock anchors on the approach to Mountfield tunnel, refurbishment of the footbridge at West St Leonards station, and further vegetation management between Strawberry Hill and Frant and from Crowhurst to Mountfield to improve line safety.

Throughout the closure, no train services will run between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, or between Bexhill and Hastings. A replacement bus service will operate on both routes, while a Southern shuttle train service will continue to run between Ashford and Hastings.