No trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst from 24 October to 1 November, over half-term. Priory Road also shuts at the rail bridge on the same nine days.
Two rail closures are coming at Tonbridge, and the bigger one runs for nine days over the October school half-term.
Updated 5 October: the Sunday 27 September closure has run. Kent County Council now proposes to close Priory Road, Tonbridge, either side of the railway bridge for Network Rail bridge maintenance: nights only from 19 to 23 October, then continuously from 22:00 on 24 October to 05:00 on 2 November, over the same nine days the line is shut. The diversion is via Goldsmid Road, Pembury Road and Quarry Hill Road (notice dated 2 October 2026). Separately, no trains run to or from London Charing Cross on 10 and 11 October. Full list on our Tonbridge roadworks and travel page.
On Sunday 27 September, engineering work at Tonbridge itself broke the line. Hastings line trains from London Charing Cross ran only as far as Sevenoaks. Services to Ramsgate and Dover via Tonbridge were diverted via Maidstone East. Replacement buses ran between Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Paddock Wood and Wadhurst, and Southern’s Edenbridge to Tonbridge service was buses as well. (Southeastern)
Then, from Saturday 24 October until Sunday 1 November, no trains at all will run between Tonbridge and Wadhurst. That is nine days, and Network Rail has timed it for the October school half-term.
What is shut, and for how long
The nine-day closure: what is actually being done
The work is at Grove Hill Tunnel, just south of Tunbridge Wells, where engineers will renew the slab track. Slab track is rail fixed directly to a reinforced concrete base rather than sitting on sleepers and ballast, and it is used in some tunnels to strengthen and stabilise the structure. The old slab is life-expired and is being taken out and replaced, along with the railway systems inside the tunnel. (Network Rail, 8 September 2026)
The rest of the route is being worked on at the same time, which is the point of taking nine days rather than a run of weekends:
- Wadhurst tunnel: maintenance, plus detailed examination of the tunnel bore, portals and shafts
- Near Stonegate: earthworks investigations, drainage surveys, track monitoring and condition assessments
- Etchingham: a new uninterruptible power supply, station canopy repairs, bridge and drainage inspections
- Robertsbridge and Mountfield: replacement of life-expired track components, examination of Mountfield Tunnel, surveys for future upgrades
- Across the route: vegetation management, drainage inspections, routine track maintenance and structural examinations
Scott Brightwell, Southeastern’s director of safety and performance, said the slab track renewal is “a major piece of engineering” and that combining it with the rest of the work is “making the most of the time the railway is closed and reducing the need for future disruption”. He asked passengers to “plan ahead and leave more time to travel as rail replacement buses will take longer than the train”.
What still runs from Tonbridge
Most of what Tonbridge station does is unaffected in October. Trains from Tonbridge to Charing Cross, Redhill, Ramsgate and Dover Priory run as normal throughout the nine days. It is the southern leg, towards Tunbridge Wells, Wadhurst and Hastings, that goes.
Replacement buses will run between Tonbridge and Wadhurst calling at all stations, all nine days. On Sunday 1 November, when the work extends further south, they run from Tonbridge to Battle instead.
Southeastern has also set out where tickets will be accepted on other routes during the closure:
- from Hastings and Ore to Ashford International
- on Southeastern high speed services between Ashford International and London St Pancras
- passengers from Stonegate, Wadhurst and Frant can use the Southern route from Uckfield, though Southeastern warns it is a low frequency service through the day and says to check a journey planner first
Parking is the part people will feel in Tonbridge
Southeastern expects Tonbridge station car park to be very busy for the nine days, as people drive here to pick up trains that are still running. Its advice is to arrive early to get a space.
Further down the line, car parks are being taken over. Part of the car parks at Tunbridge Wells and Frant will be used for construction work on the Grove Hill Tunnel renewal. At Etchingham, Robertsbridge, Stonegate and Wadhurst, station car parks are needed for the buses to turn and wait, so capacity will be cut and some areas kept clear.
What it means for you
- This Sunday, 27 September: if you are travelling to or through Tonbridge, check the journey planner first. Trains from Charing Cross stop at Sevenoaks, and the bus leg adds time.
- Tonight, Monday 21 September: from 22:45 buses replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst and Hastings for the rest of the evening.
- Half-term, 24 October to 1 November: if you are going to Tunbridge Wells, Wadhurst or Hastings by train, budget for the bus. Journey times will be longer than usual.
- If you need assistance, book it in the usual way. Southeastern says replacement buses on the October closure are accessible.
- Driving instead? Our Tonbridge roadworks and travel page tracks what is shut on the roads, and Tonbridge train times to London covers the normal service.
- Parking at the station: allow extra time in late October, and see parking in Tonbridge for the alternatives in town.
Southeastern points questions to a 24-hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41.
Sources: Southeastern, Tonbridge to Wadhurst line closure; Southeastern, planned engineering work; Network Rail, 8 September 2026. All checked on 21 September 2026.
Have your say