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Monday 21 Jul 2025

ONE MONTH TO GO: Passengers asked to check before they travel ahead of ten-day closure of Redhill to Tonbridge line

Region & Route:

Southern

August closure means that rail replacement buses will operate over the whole route so that Network Rail can undertake essential engineering work.

Passengers travelling between Redhill and Tonbridge are being advised to plan their journeys ahead of time and leave more time to travel as the line closes for ten days, beginning in a month’s time. 

Buses will replace trains from Saturday, 16 August to Monday, 25 August 2025 as Network Rail works to renew 13 miles of high voltage power cables, protect the track from landslips, replace worn-out rails near Edenbridge and undertake maintenance works to improve the resilience of railway structures and equipment. 

The renewal of 13 miles of high voltage (12,000 volt) feeder cables will take place between Nutfield and Leigh and will provide a more stable power supply to all the electrical systems on this section of the track. Engineers will also remove the old, decommissioned cables. 

Near Edenbridge, where landslips have caused significant disruption to rail services in recent years, the railway embankment will be strengthened with a 360-metre-long steel wall either side of the track. The wall will be further strengthened with 226 soil nails, each 9-metres-long and driven into the ground.

Elsewhere along the line, 11 bridges will undergo detailed structural inspections and 200m of rail will be replaced at Godstone.

During the closure, there will be no trains between Redhill and Tonbridge. Instead, replacement buses will run. Journeys will therefore take longer than usual and passengers will need to allow extra time. Mainline services from Redhill and Tonbridge will be unaffected by the work.  

Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex Route Director, Network Rail, commented: “We know there is never a good time to close the railway and appreciate passengers managing changes to their journey while the line is closed.  

“By working over ten consecutive days in August, we can get the work done much more quickly and avoid weekend after weekend of bus replacement services, which we know is frustrating for our passengers. It also means we won’t disrupt school and college students, who make a significant percentage of passengers on the route in term time. 

“We’ll make the most of the time when the railway is closed to replace more than 13 miles of power cables, between Nutfield and Leigh, ensuring reliable and resilient power to trains and lineside equipment.  

“The embankment at Edenbridge will be strengthened, track replaced at Godstone, bridges along the line will undergo detailed structural inspections and we’ll complete hundreds of crucial maintenance tasks.  

“Thanks for bearing with us and managing the changes to your journey when the line is closed”. 

Jenny Saunders, Southern's Customer Service Director, said: “These vital engineering works will ensure journeys on the Redhill to Tonbridge line are more reliable for years to come. 

"With one month to go, I'm urging people who are planning to travel during these ten days to check their journeys using a planner like the Southern website, as they will likely be disrupted and involve a bus.

“We'll have buses running between all stations on the route, and they'll also stop at Edenbridge Town to make connections onto the Uckfield line for services towards London via East Croydon."

Travel information

Buses will replace trains between Redhill and Tonbridge. Replacement buses will call at all stations on the route.  

In addition, buses will also make an extra stop at Edenbridge Town, to provide connections with Southern services on the Uckfield line, to and from East Croydon and London Bridge. 

On journey planners, buses will show a change at Edenbridge Town. This is simply to allow driver changeover where necessary and should not involve a change of bus for passengers.  

Journeys will take longer while this engineering work takes place, especially if you need to use a replacement bus.    

Bus and train departure and arrival times will be different to the normal train timetable; therefore, it is really important to plan ahead and check the details of your journey before you travel, including any connections with other services.    

Other Southern, Thameslink and Great Western Railway trains at Redhill, as well as Southeastern services at Tonbridge, are not affected by these works.