A railway line between Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge will be closed for another two weeks while engineers carry out emergency landslip repairs, Network Rail has announced.

It comes after a slippage in High Brooms, between the two stations, was detected on Monday causing disruption in both directions.

A full closure was put in place which they expected to last until February 2, but now engineers say more work is needed to permanently fix and protect the 150 metre stretch.

The line will now re-open on Saturday, February 20.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail Route Director for Kent, said: “I’m so sorry we’re having to put passengers in this position.

"We looked long and hard at the possibility of opening the railway sooner. However, it is absolutely essential that our railway is safe to travel on and, by taking this extra time, we can reinforce and protect the line for years to come.

"We’ve had exceptionally wet conditions this winter driven by climate change and have suffered a number of landslips across the Southern region.

"This is a long-term challenge we’re facing and by taking another week to do this work, we can protect the line for generations to come.

"Thank you to our passengers and lineside neighbours for their patience and understanding whilst we carry out these critical works.”

Southeastern’s Train Services Director, Scott Brightwell, said: “There is never an ideal time to close the railway but this work by Network Rail is essential to ensure that this stretch of track can reopen for trains as soon as possible, allowing passengers’ journeys to continue without delay.

"We’ll make sure that changes to journey times and details of replacement bus services are well communicated through our website, National Rail Enquiries, and through our Twitter account @Se_Railway, so please check before you travel.”

The slippage at High Brooms was picked up by remote sensors which had been in place following two previous smaller landslips in the same area.

A permanent fix is now being put into place along the 160-year-old cutting which will include re-grading it (making it less steep), soil nailing and placing netting over the top to ensure no more slippage occurs.

More than 5,000 tonnes of spoil will need to be removed from the site to make the repair.

Replacement bus services are in place between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells and trains will continue to run north and south of those stations as per normal services.

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