Thousands of tonnes of earth will be removed from a major stretch of railway in a bid to protect the line from landslides.

Network Rail is planning to close the route between Faversham and Dover for a period of eight days over the half-term holidays, from February 11-18, to allow engineers to carry out the £3 million project to stabilise several cuttings and embankments.

The work will involve removing earth from sections of cuttings to reduce the steepness of the slopes leading down to the track, as well as installing rock netting to prevent rocks and soil from falling onto trains and track.

Running from Faversham to Dover Priory via Canterbury, the line was opened in 1860 at a time when civil engineers knew much less about how steep to make their cutting slopes and what materials to build embankments from.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail's route director for Kent, said: "We'd like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this essential work to prevent future landslips.

"The change in weather patterns means that we’re experiencing drier summers and much wetter winters, and this has a huge impact on a railway that was largely designed and built in the Victorian era when the understanding of construction materials and geology were less advanced than today.

"We constantly monitor embankments and cuttings to keep passengers safe, cautioning trains when sensors detect any movement, however, this has an impact on the punctuality of services.

"The work we are planning over February half-term provides a long-term solution to the risk of landslips on this section of track and allow trains to run at full speed and will also improve the reliability."

Preparatory works will take place in early 2023, with buses replacing trains on the weekend of January 7-8.

Alongside the work to reduce the risk of landslips, some stations along the line will also be deep cleaned and refurbished while the Southeastern route is closed to passengers in February.

Scott Brightwell, Southeastern's operations and safety director, said: "We'd like to thank our passengers for their patience while Network Rail carry out this essential work which will result in a more reliable train service.

"Passengers should check before they travel for replacement bus timetable information at southeasternrailway.co.uk and allow more time for their journeys."