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Friday 27 Mar 2026

Major engineering work at Folkestone Warren to protect the railway from landslips makes good progress

Region & Route:

Southern

| Southern: Kent

18,000 tonnes of rock armour have been placed in front of the sea wall at the iconic coastal location to protect the railway.

Progress is being made in a major project that involves the installation of large rocks on the beach at Folkestone Warren, so that the coastal railway between Folkestone and Dover can be protected and ensuring that passenger trains can continue to run safely.

Since last summer, contractors working for Network Rail have been securing the railway line, repairing the footpath along the beach and renewing the sea defences below the track by adding 18,000 tonnes of rock armour in front of the sea wall to protect it from sea action.

Drainage systems are also being repaired to stop water building up, as the existing drainage system has subsided by a metre as the cliff has slipped. Around 50 sheet piles are also being installed behind the sea wall to provide a barrier and stop seawater going underneath the abutments.

The work over recent months has been carried out without any impact on passenger trains. Network Rail has thanked local people for their patience while parts of the beach have been closed so that the rocks can be lifted into place safely by heavy plant and machinery from barges that have travelled over from Boulogne in northern France.

So far, Network Rail’s contractors have cleared the groynes (the low walls built out into the sea to protect the beach from erosion) and removed excess timber from the beach. Work to install the sheet piling and repairs to the concrete across multiple bays have also been completed, and contractors have begun repairing the walkway between the sea defence and the cliff face.

With thousands of tonnes of rock armour placed along the western beach in front of the sea, drainage repairs have been made to the cliff face and the remaining walkway works will be completed in the next few months. Network Rail expects to complete the works by July 2026. 

Bob Coulson, Infrastructure Director for the South Eastern Railway, said: “There’s a long history of landslips at Folkestone Warren, with ongoing movement for many years. There are times when that movement is greater and other times when it’s stable. The rock armour we have been installing since January provides a huge weight that stops the ground moving underneath the railway, protecting it for many years to come.

“We have also installed monitoring equipment that collects and shares real time data to alert us of further minor or significant movement. This allows us to caution or stop trains if movement is detected. More monitoring instrumentation went into the ground over the winter 2024 in all areas of the Warren and on top of the cliff.

“The investigation and enhanced monitoring also help us understand the size and scope of the problem. We can then put in place interim, medium and long-term solutions.

"I want to thank people for their patience while work has been underway on the beach – and I would ask that members of the public please stay clear of the worksite for their own safety. Large machinery can be extremely dangerous, and we want to keep everyone safe."