Passengers travelling on the Medway Valley line are being advised to plan ahead as essential maintenance work triggers a reduced service during the final week of 2025.
From Monday, 29 December to Wednesday, 31 December, and again on Friday, 2 January, Southeastern services between Paddock Wood and Strood will be reduced to an hourly frequency during the middle of the day.
Key Details of the Service Changes
Network Rail and Southeastern have confirmed that the “daylight” maintenance schedule is designed to allow engineers to conduct vital inspections and repairs in natural light.
- Affected Times: The hourly service will operate daily between 09:10 and 15:00.
- Routes Impacted: * Southeastern between Paddock Wood and Strood.
- Maidstone West to Strood / London St Pancras International.
- Maidstone West to Gravesend.
While services will continue to run, the usual half-hourly off-peak frequency will be halved, potentially leading to busier trains and longer wait times for those travelling between Tonbridge, Maidstone West, and the Medway towns.
The work is part of a broader festive engineering program across the Kent network. By moving inspections to daylight hours during the quieter post-Christmas period, Network Rail aims to improve the accuracy of safety checks and reduce the need for more disruptive overnight closures.
“We use the time when the railway is quieter to get vital work done,” said a Southeastern spokesperson. “To allow maintenance and inspection work to take place in daylight, trains will run hourly during these specific off-peak windows.”
Travel Advice for Passengers
With major works also affecting London terminals—including the closure of London Victoria until 31 December and London Charing Cross starting 1 January—passengers are strongly urged to:
- Check Before You Travel: Use the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner for the most up-to-date timings.
- Allow Extra Time: Expect connections at Strood or Paddock Wood to be tighter than usual.
- Check Alternative Routes: For those heading toward London, Highspeed services from Maidstone West or services via Tonbridge may be affected by separate ongoing works at London hubs.