Dartford rail line to close for nine days during February half term

A Dartford rail line will close from 14 to 22 February for a £10m track upgrade, with replacement buses serving affected routes and several stations also due to receive work.

A Dartford-area rail line will close for nine days in February for a £10m track upgrade. Network Rail said work will run from 14 to 22 February. The closure is scheduled for the school half-term to reduce disruption. Replacement buses will operate and several stations will also see work during the same period. Key details: - The line will be closed from 14 to 22 February for nine days. - The project is a £10m track upgrade at Dartford Junction. - Network Rail said Dartford Junction handles about 650 trains a day and is the busiest junction in Kent. - Replacement buses will operate and several stations will receive work during the same period. - David Davidson, Network Rail's South East chief operating officer, said the half-term timing was chosen because schools are on holiday and fewer people are commuting. Summary: The work concentrates multiple maintenance projects into a single nine-day window to limit weekday disruption. The planned work window is 14–22 February and operators say replacement buses will run while the upgrade is carried out.