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Monday 19 Jan 2026

Critical level crossing renewal works will mean no road access to and from Isle of Grain village between midnight on Sunday 15th February and early morning on Monday 16th February

Region & Route:

Southern

| Southern: Kent

Grain level crossing will close at midnight on Sunday 15th February for 29 hours so that Network Rail can undertake urgent work to repair the railway.

People living and working at Isle of Grain village are being asked to make journeys on an alternative day if possible, to ensure a smoother and less disrupted journey.

The crossing and the track on the freight-only railway line have reached the end of their serviceable life and are showing significant deterioration in both the road surface and the track beneath, creating an uneven surface and possible damage to the rails increasing the risk of vehicle damage and discomfort for pedestrians, and a risk to rail freight operations.

Engineers need to act now to keep the level crossing safe for vehicle users and for our rail freight operators.

During the work, engineers will completely rebuild the crossing and replace the rails using a more robust, modern system designed to better withstand the heavy traffic that uses this route. Engineers will also install underground ducts to accommodate new signalling cables, supporting a future scheme to upgrade the existing signalling and barriers. This will improve safety and reliability for both road users and rail operators, while reducing the need for ongoing maintenance and further road closures.

To allow this work to take place, a road closure will be required on the A228 Grain Road, and the Grain level crossing will be closed with no vehicle access from 00:01 on Sunday 15th February 2026 until 05:00 on Monday 16th February 2026, when the level crossing and the road will reopen.

The work has been scheduled over a period that is expected to cause the least disruption to residents and businesses, and special arrangements have been put in place for the duration of the closure.

Special arrangements

Public transport: Accessible minibuses will be available to transport local residents and workers from Isle of Grain village to the level crossing, from where people will be escorted by marshals over the level crossing and then able to pick up the Arriva bus service on the opposite side of the crossing (and in the opposite direction).

Motorists: There will be no ordinary road access over the Grain level crossing during the entire 29-hour closure, with only emergency services including police, ambulance, fire and rescue and NHS on-call workers, including mental health staff and people on dialysis able to be escorted through the BP Yard.

Parking: As part of our mitigation scheme, railway owned land is being allocated for a limited number of parking spaces on the opposite side of the crossing on the A228 Grain Road, near to Lower Stoke. Parking is provided by Network Rail as part of the mitigation scheme and all vehicles are parked entirely at their owners’ risk. Residents are kindly encouraged to car share or make alternative arrangements where possible in order to help maximise the availability of car parking spaces.

Local residents in Isle of Grain village have been contacted directly to let us know if they intend to use a car parking space if needed. All vehicles must be parked in the designated area between 19:00 and 21:00 on Saturday 14th February. We would be grateful if any residents who would like to use the mitigation parking area kindly contact us by email at communityrelationssouthern@networkrail.co.uk quoting ‘Grain Level Crossing – Mitigation Parking’, as this will give us an indication of how many vehicles would like to use this parking area.

The free minibus service will operate between the parking area and Isle of Grain village High Street during the closure period.

Bob Coulson, Infrastructure Director for the South Eastern Railway, said: "We want to thank residents of Isle of Grain village and people who work in the area, and we are liaising closely with Medway Council regarding these critical works and working on ways to and also including ways to reduce the impact on residents. We aim to make any inconvenience as manageable as possible.

“We explored the option of using an existing relief road adjacent to the crossing, which sits on railway land, but unfortunately it wasn’t possible to put this alternative route in place. Even at low speeds, it would be extremely difficult for larger vehicles to safely navigate. The physical condition of this particular road also means that it’s not a practical or safe option as a temporary diversion.

“We also reviewed an alternative access route through the BP oil terminal, however due to the nature of their operations and the presence of highly flammable aviation fuel, only the emergency services will be able to have escorted access through that site.

“We ask that the local community plan ahead and make any journeys that need to be made on an alternative day if possible to ensure a smoother and less disrupted journey.”