Ore tunnel improvements
We will undertake major improvement work in the 1,402-yard (1,282 m) long Ore tunnel this autumn.
This will result in the railway line between Hastings and Rye being closed from Saturday 19 October to Sunday 3 November 2024 inclusive.
What work is taking place?
The essential maintenance work in Ore tunnel will improve the drainage and repair lining to the inside of the structure to prevent water seeping through. This will include concrete spraying of the lining of the tunnel, soil and rock nailing, repair of the brickwork and replacement of some of the track through the tunnel.
When is the work taking place?
From Saturday 19 October to Sunday 3 November 2024.
How will this work affect me?
Weekend closures between Hastings and Ashford
- On the weekend of Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October there will be no trains between Rye and Hastings and Rye and Ashford. Buses will replace trains.
- On the weekend Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October a shuttle service will run between Rye and Ashford between 07:30 and 18:30 each day.
- The plans for Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November are yet to be confirmed.
Services between London and Hastings are unaffected during the work.
Weekday service changes
- From Monday 21 October to Friday 1 November a shuttle service will run between Rye and Ashford between 07:30 and 18:30 each day.
- Before 07:00 and after 19:00 buses will replace trains.
- Buses will be in operation to serve the section of line between Rye and Hastings.
Changes to services to/from Eastbourne, Lewes, Brighton
- From 19 October to 25 October an amended train service will run between Brighton / Eastbourne and Hastings.
- From Monday 21 to Friday 25 October and from Monday 28 October to Friday 1 November, an amended train service will run between Lewes and Hastings.
The mainline service to London and Tonbridge from Hastings will be unaffected.
Please see the Southern website for the latest.
We know there is never a good time to close the railway and we are sorry for the disruption to people’s journeys. Working in cramped tunnels is challenging and unfortunately due to the nature of the conditions work takes longer.
We have planned the work to take place, in part, over the October half-term holidays to reduce disruption to school travel and because trains are typically quieter during school holidays. That means fewer people are likely to be impacted overall.
Community information
Preparatory work will begin from Monday 26 August to Monday 9 September 2024 to survey the tunnel and to set up our compound and site office. They will then be removed upon completion of the work. There will be security and gate staff present at the compound throughout.
The works will mainly take place from 22:00 to 08:00 and staff working on site are fully briefed on working responsibly in the local community and keeping noise levels to an absolute minimum level. All staff will be inducted and briefed about being a considerate neighbour.
We will update the local community on the main works in October as the details are finalised.
Why is the work needed?
The work will provide more reliable journeys for passengers and be another step in potentially reducing journey times in the future.
Other works
To take full advantage of the track closure, we have scheduled a wide range of other improvement works to avoid further disruption in the future and allow better services for passengers.
These include:
- Renewing c700 yards of track through the tunnel and around the Ore area; This will result in a smoother ride for passengers
- Refurbishment of 4 sets of crossings to improve reliability
- Repairing of the footbridge at Ore station and the maintenance of the Briscoe Road bridge in Guestling
- Surveys and maintenance of embankments/cuttings
- Maintenance of drainage culverts between Winchelsea and Hastings.
Get in touch
If you have any questions, please call our dedicated 24-hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41 or visit our contact us page.