No trains will be running in part of the county this half term as major engineering works are completed.

The line from Tunbridge Wells to Hastings won't be operating from Saturday, October 22, to Sunday, October 30, to improve the reliability of the route.

It was originally built in the 1850s and will be repaired by Network Rail as part of an ongoing improvement programme after major landslips at Christmas in 2020 and in February 2014.

The train company's route director for Kent, Fiona Taylor, explained: “The closure of the railway for nine days is good news for passengers on the route.

"We’re finally able to deliver sustained investment in this railway’s civil engineering, really for the first time since it was built.

"When the engineers of the 1850s cut the tracks through the hills, they cut deeply and cheaply, leaving a legacy of unstable earthworks that have a history of collapse.

"We took a week last year to shore them up around Wadhurst and other locations, and we’re going to be back doing more of the same work this time round, and again in April 2023.

“I’m really grateful for the understanding passengers have shown while we’ve been working on this route and I would ask them to check before they travel during the October half-term week, as rail replacement buses will be in use on the whole length of the route."

Southeastern's operations and safety director Scott Brightwell added: “We know that closing the railway for a short period isn’t ideal, but we’ll make sure that all of our customers know exactly how to complete their journey between Hastings and Tunbridge Wells while Network Rail carries out this vital work.

"Our message to our customers is to check their journey on the Southeastern website or app, and after the work’s finished they’ll return to a more reliable railway. "

Along with improvements to the earthworks on the line, there will also be new track installed inside Wadhurst Tunnel and work will also be taking place in Mountfield Tunnel, near Robertsbridge.

The track here is currently set into concrete, called slab track, which needs repairing, and investigations will also be taking place to plan for additional work at a later date.