Nine-day closure of Redhill to Tonbridge railway line announced for August

Network Rail has issued the following press release about engineering works which will affect Southern services between Redhill and Tonbridge for nine days this summer.

Network Rail will undertake work to strengthen the railway embankment near Edenbridge, with buses replacing trains along the route.

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 nine days this summer.

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 nine 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.

“I’m hoping that, by letting our customers know about these works long in advance, you will be able to plan your journeys as best as possible around the closure.

“We’ll have buses running between Redhill and Tonbridge to keep passengers moving, and as we get closer to the 16^th of August, we will provide more detailed information on this."