South Eastern Trains have announced that there will be no rail services between Hastings and Tunbridge Wells for nine days over October half term while Network Rail engineers replace the track in Wadhurst tunnel and stabilise the embankments to prevent landslips. This is part of an ongoing project under a £1.25bn South East Upgrade aimed at improving performance and reliability. 

Doing the work over nine consecutive days, from Saturday 22 through to Sunday 30 October rather than over several weekends, is calculated to cause less disruption overall. The October half-term school holiday tends to lower passenger numbers, and more replacement buses are available, according to the company. Replacement buses will run, but Crowhurst will be served only by a separate minibus shuttle to and from Battle.

In the meantime three different railway workers’ trade unions have announced separate strikes for later this month in pursuit of respective pay claims. ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) train drivers are threatening to walk out on Thursday 15 September; RMT (Royal Maritime and Transport) workers on Thursday 15 and Saturday 17 and TSSA (Transport Salaries Staff Association) on Monday and Tuesday 26 and 27. ASLEF and TSSA claims are against South Eastern Trains rather than Southern Rail, so may not directly affect services from Hastings to Brighton, Lewes or Ashford. However, the RMT action seems likely to bring the whole rail network to a standstill.