A railway line has reopened after repairs were completed following a landslide.

The land fell away next to the line at Newington near Sittingbourne on February 23 following days of heavy rainfall, leading to a 40 metre-long crack along the trackbed.

The six-mile stretch between Rainham and Sittingbourne has been out of action since to allow Network Rail engineers to stabilise the slippage and rebuild the embankment.

Network Rail’s geotechnical and structures experts discovered land slipped about five metres down, prompting the closure.

Test trains ran yesterday after work was completed on Saturday afternoon and the line reopened to passengers this morning (Monday).

Rail replacement buses have been running in place of trains on the key route from Thanet all the way along the north Kent line connecting the county with London.

In the past week the embankment has been regraded, which involves the excavation of the slipped material before creating a new structure.

Steps were cut into the slope before it got backfilled with 3,000 tonnes of stone to help reduce the gradient and strengthen the embankment.

Noise and vibration sensors were also installed so Network Rail could monitor and reduce disruption to residents living nearby.

During the closure, a limited bus service replaced Southeastern trains between Sittingbourne, Newington, Rainham and Gillingham.

An amended train service operated between London Victoria and Gillingham, via Denmark Hill; London St Pancras and Rochester; Sittingbourne and Dover Priory, and Sittingbourne and Ramsgate.

Rail services have now returned to normal.