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Wednesday 24 May 2023

Rail passengers in Kent are being reminded to check before they travel as Network Rail undertakes a series of track upgrades in Rochester alongside essential repairs to lines in South London

Region & Route:

Southern

| Southern: Kent

Network Rail is reminding passengers to plan ahead and check their journeys as vital upgrades are completed across the railway this weekend.

From Saturday 27 to Monday 29 May engineers will be replacing two sets of switches and crossings - the moveable sections of track that guide trains from one track to another - and 300m of track at Rochester Bridge Junction, which sits on the Victorian railway arches running alongside the A2 and Canal Road at the Strood end of Rochester Bridge.

Engineers will be removing the old ballast (the stones that support the track) and replacing life expired sleepers and rails.

These important upgrades will help give passengers more reliable journeys on the Chatham and North Kent lines and futureproof it for years to come.

While work is underway, buses will replace Southeastern train services between:

• Meopham and Gillingham calling at all stations except Sole Street.
• Gravesend and Gillingham calling at all stations except Higham.
• Gravesend and Maidstone West calling at all stations.

On Sunday 28 May track maintenance and repairs on lines in South East London mean that no trains will run into London Waterloo East or London Charing Cross with buses replacing trains between Lewisham and Orpington, and Lewisham and Dartford via Sidcup.

On Sunday 29 May buses will replace trains between Rochester and Strood.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s Kent route director, said: “We’d like to thank passengers for their patience whilst we carry out these important works over the weekend. Works are being undertaken while customer numbers are lower during the late May bank holiday to minimise disruption.

“The majority of the route will be open as usual for people to travel but we’re just asking passengers to plan ahead and check journeys in advance.”

Scott Brightwell, Southeastern’s operations and safety director, said: “We know that there’s never a good time to close parts of the railway, but the work being undertaken by Network Rail does ensure that the railway on this part of our network is more reliable for our customers.

“We’d encourage our customers to plan their journeys if travelling in the Medway area or into London’s West End this weekend, by visiting our website or contacting us through Twitter @Se_Railway.”