Train Services Resume After Two-Week Tunnel Maintenance

Normal train operations have resumed on a line serving East Sussex and Kent, following a two-week closure of a tunnel situated between Hastings and Rye. Alternative transport, including rail replacement buses and shuttle train services, had been provided since October 18 to accommodate the maintenance work on the Ore tunnel. Normal services recommenced on Monday morning, following what Network Rail characterized as “essential maintenance”. According to Network Rail, the project aimed to enhance the drainage system within the 1,282m (4,206ft) tunnel and repair its internal lining to prevent water ingress. Additionally, sections of the track passing through the tunnel were scheduled for replacement, and portions of its Victorian-era brickwork were slated for repair. During the closure, buses substituted train services connecting Hastings, Rye, and Ashford International station in Kent, with a shuttle train operating between Rye and Ashford on specific days. A spokesperson for Network Rail stated that engineers performed repairs on the brickwork and applied sprayed concrete along the interior of the tunnel, which originally opened in 1851. The spokesperson further commented: “The work will improve reliability for Southern passengers along the Marshlink route which connects Hastings with Ashford.”