Daytime maintenance inspection programme
There will be a small number of timetable changes on four of our routes across Kent over the next six months to give railway workers more time to carry out a greater number of maintenance inspections in daylight hours. This will help us to improve efficiency, boost performance and deliver better journeys.
What are the service changes?
Full details of the service changes are set out below.
Journey planners have been updated, and you can check train times here.
What are the benefits of more daytime inspections?
In recent years many maintenance surveys have been carried out overnight when trains are not running. However, due to the integrated planning under South Eastern Railway (Southeastern and Network Rail Kent) more inspections have now been scheduled to take place in the off-peak periods when the longer service gaps give workers more access to the railway in daylight hours.
Carrying out inspections of the track and railway structures during the day has a number of benefits, including:
- Visual inspections are more accurate in natural light.
- Daytime activity frees up night shifts for complex maintenance tasks that can only be performed when trains are not running.
- The cost savings from reducing overnight work can be reinvested into further improvements across the network.
- Helps to deliver long-term reliability gains.
How did you select the routes and times?
- The routes and times have been chosen to strike the right balance between the needs of our passengers and the essential infrastructure maintenance that is required to keep trains running.
What happens after this series of inspections?
We’ll be closely monitoring these inspections to ensure we are not disproportionately affecting customers on any of the routes selected. An assessment of the programme will also be carried out to help inform future maintenance schedules.
The routes and timetable changes are set out below:
Maidstone East – Ashford International
The 08:25 London Victoria to Ashford International service will be diverted after Otford and call at Tonbridge, Paddock Wood, Marden, Staplehurst, Headcorn, Pluckley then Ashford International (arrives at 09:54).
The 08:28 London Charing Cross service to Maidstone East will call additionally at Kemsing, East Malling, and Barming.
Scheduled Dates:
- 7–11 July 2025
- 18–22 August 2025
- 29 September – 3 October 2025
- 10–14 November 2025
Sheerness - Sittingbourne
Off-peak frequency of one train per hour from 09.25 to 15.25
- The 14.53 Sittingbourne to Sheerness service will not run.
- The 15.17 Sheerness to Sittingbourne service will not run.
Dates
- 28 July – 1 August
- 8 – 12 September
- 20 – 24 October
- 1 – 5 December
- 12 – 16 January 2026
Strood – Paddock Wood
Off-peak train frequency will be reduced from two trains per hour to one between 09:10 and 15:00.
Scheduled Dates:
- 14–18 July 2025
- 25–29 August 2025
- 6–10 October 2025
- 17–21 November 2025
- 29 December 2025 – 2 January 2026
Tonbridge – Ashford International
Off-peak service frequency will be reduced to one train per hour between 09:40 and 15:00.
Scheduled Dates:
- 4–8 August 2025
- 15–19 September 2025
- 19–23 January 2026
What services are not running?
Between Sheerness and Sittingbourne
14.53 Sittingbourne to Sheerness service will not run.
15.17 Sheerness to Sittingbourne service will not run.
Between Strood and Paddock Wood
09.05 – Tonbridge to Strood
10.03 / 11/03 / 12.03 / 13.03 / 14.03 – Paddock Wood to Strood
09.03 / 10.03 / 11.03 /12.03 / 13.03 / 14.03 – Strood to Paddock Wood
Between Tonbridge and Ashford International
The 09:04 / 10:04 / 11:04 / 12:04 / 13:04 London Charing Cross to Dover Priory will terminate at Tonbridge. The trains half-an-hour either side of them will divide at Ashford International with the rear portion running through to Dover Priory.
Westenhanger, Sandling, Folkestone West / Central and Dover Priory will still have an hourly through train from London, but half an hour different to normal timings.
09:28 / 10: 28 / 11: 28 / 12: 28 / 13:28 Dover Priory to London Charing Cross services will start from Tonbridge. The trains half-an-hour either side of them will have a portion joining at Ashford International coming through from Dover Priory.
Westenhanger, Sandling, Folkestone West / Central and Dover Priory will still have an hourly through train to London, about half an hour different to its normal timings.
