Part of a railway line will be shut while repairs are being made to a bridge.

Buses will replace trains on various dates in June and July while engineers carry out essential maintenance on the Kingsferry Bridge, which links Sheppey to the mainland.

Routine inspections revealed the condition of some of the 40 steel ropes, which support the bridge when it lifts for maritime traffic, have deteriorated.

The ropes were last replaced in 1995.

Regular testing ensures bridge users are kept safe, however if the rope condition gets worse it could result in an unplanned closure.

This would cause significant disruption.

Buses will replace trains between Sheerness, Queenborough, Swale and Kemsley railway stations.

This will be on the following dates:

- June 8 and June 9.

- Between June 29 and July 6.

- July 13 and 14.

- Between July 20 and July 27.

Replacement bus timetables can be found on the Southeastern website.

A Southeastern spokesperson said: “We want to thank customers for bearing with us while this essential repair work is carried out on the bridge.

“If you do need to travel along the line during the closure then accessible replacement buses are available but please check journey planners and allow much more time for your journey.”