Daytime inspections expanded by South East Railways

By Rich Wilcock

4 July 2025

News

Following on from the leadership merger between Southeastern and the regions infrastructure provider, Network Rail Kent Route last month, which was subsequently named South East Railways, a new approach to its railway maintenance inspections has been announced as one of its first initiatives.

Following successful trials on the Medway Valley and Maidstone East lines last year, the initiative will see daytime inspection work take place across four routes during six separate weeks over the next six months. The first set of timetable changes to accommodate this work comes into effect from 7 July to 11 July.

South Eastern Railway has said that inspections will now increasingly take place during off-peak periods when longer service gaps provide access to the track. Inspections have traditionally been taking place during overnight engineering hours.

Scott Brightwell, Southeastern’s Safety, Planning and Performance Director, said: “Carrying out more inspections during the day has been made possible by South Eastern Railway’s joint decision-making and shared emphasis on doing the right thing for our people, our customers, and the taxpayer.

“We know it is more efficient to do maintenance inspections in daylight rather than in the early hours of the morning. This increased schedule over the coming months strikes the right balance between the needs of our passengers and the infrastructure maintenance that is required to keep trains running.”

The change to daytime inspections however has meant changes to timetables, with the full list of changes seen below.

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.

Dates

7–11 July 2025

18–22 August 2025

29 September – 3 October 2025

10 – 14 November 2025

22 - 26 December 2025

Sheerness - Sittingbourne

Off-peak frequency of one train per hour from 09.25 to 15.25

The 14.53 Sheerness to Sittingbourne service will not run.

The 15.17 Sittingbourne to Sheerness service will not run.

Dates