Category: Kingsferry Bridge

Yet more festive rail strikes will disrupt Kingsferry Bridge operations on 24-27 December and 3-8 January. Network Rail have a contingency plan to cover some of the disruption:

19:00 Sat 24 December to 07:00 Tues 27 December 2022 No bridge lifts

Tuesday 3 January 2023
00:00 – 19:00 Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 23:59 No bridge lifts

Wednesday 4 January
00:00– 07:00 No bridge lifts
07:00 – 19:00 Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 23:59 No bridge lifts

Thursday 5 January
Midnight – 07:00 No bridge lifts
07:00 – 23:59 Bridge lifts available

Friday 6 January
00:00 – 19:00 Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 23:59 No bridge lifts

Saturday 7 January
00:00 – 07:00 No bridge lifts
07:00 – 19:00 Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 23:59 No bridge lifts

Sunday 8 January
00:00 – 07:00 No bridge lifts
07:00 – 23:59 Bridge lifts available

Priority will be given to commercial shipping but leisure craft will also be able to transit the bridge. Please give as much notice as possible (call VHF channel 10) to avoid delays. If talks are successful and industrial action is avoided a cancellation notice will be issued.

Yet more rail strikes will disrupt Kingsferry Bridge operations on 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th December, plus early the following mornings. Network Rail have a contingency plan to cover most of the disruption:

Tuesday 13th December 2022
Midnight – 06:00 Normal service will be maintained
06:00 – 07:00 No bridge lifts available
07:00 – 19:00 Contingency operator on shift – Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 23:59 No bridge lifts available

Wednesday 14th December 2022
Midnight – 07:00 No bridge lifts available
07:00 – 19:00 Contingency operator on shift – Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 06:00 (15th December) No bridge lifts available

Friday 16th November 2022
Midnight – 06:00 Normal service will be maintained
06:00 – 07:00 No bridge lifts available
07:00 – 19:00 Contingency operator on shift – Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 23:59 No bridge lifts available

Saturday 17th December 2022
Midnight – 07:00 No bridge lifts available
07:00 – 19:00 Contingency operator on shift – Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 06:00 (18th December) No bridge lifts available

Priority will be given to commercial shipping but leisure craft will also be able to transit the bridge. Please give as much notice as possible (call VHF channel 10) to avoid delays. If talks are successful and industrial action is avoided a cancellation notice will be issued.

Yet more rail strikes will disrupt Kingsferry Bridge operations on 5th, 7th and 9th November, plus early the following mornings. Network Rail have a contingency plan to cover most of the disruption:

Saturday 5th November 2022.
Midnight – 06:00 Normal service will be maintained
06:00 – 07:00 No bridge lifts available
07:00 – 19:00 Contingency operator on shift – Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 06:00 (6th November) No bridge lifts available

Monday 7th November 2022
Midnight – 06:00 Normal service will be maintained
06:00 – 07:00 No bridge lifts available
07:00 – 19:00 Contingency operator on shift – Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 06:00 (8th November) No bridge lifts available

Wednesday 9th November 2022
Midnight – 06:00 Normal service will be maintained
06:00 – 07:00 No bridge lifts available
07:00 – 19:00 Contingency operator on shift – Bridge lifts available
19:00 – 06:00 (10th November) No bridge lifts available

Priority will be given to commercial shipping but leisure craft will also be able to transit the bridge. Please give as much notice as possible (call VHF channel 10) to avoid delays. If talks are successful and industrial action is avoided a cancellation notice will be issued.

Network Rail have given permission for a production company to use Kingsferry Bridge to shoot sequences for an upcoming film. The filming will take place over the weekend of 29/30 October 2022 and will involve road closures and periods of disruption to marine traffic. Filming has been planned to coincide with a day of scheduled maintenance on the Kingsferry Bridge (30 October). Arrangements for the two days of filming are as follows:

Saturday 29 October 2022
Filming will be taking place on the bridge for the entire day, road closures have been requested from 04:00 – Midnight, trains will run as normal. Marine traffic can transit the bridge as normal although leisure craft may be asked to wait for short periods whilst specific scenes are being filmed.

Sunday 30 October 2022
Filming will be taking place on Kingsferry Bridge, in Ferry Reach and on the slipway at Long Reach Ski Club adjacent to the bridge. Road closures have been requested from Midnight – 22:00. It is envisaged that the bridge will remain in the raised position for the filming/maintenance period, no trains will operate for this period. Due to the nature of the filming the following restrictions will apply to marine traffic:
Commercial Shipping – Ship arrivals and departures will be programmed over the flood / HW period between 12:30 and 16:30
Leisure Vessels – No leisure craft will be able to transit Ferry Reach and the Kingsferry Bridge between 07:00 – 17:00.
Safety craft will be stationed either side of the bridge between 07:00 and 17:00 on Sunday, they will communicate with any craft attempting to transit who are not aware of the restrictions and regular broadcasts will be transmitted by Medway VTS on VHF Channel 74.

Yet more rail strikes will disrupt Kingsferry Bridge operations on Saturday 8 October, plus early the following morning. Network Rail have a contingency plan to cover most of the disruption:

Saturday 8 October 2022
Midnight – 06:00 Normal service will be maintained
06:00 – 08:00 No bridge lifts available
08:00 – 13:00 Contingency operator on shift – Bridge lifts available
13:00 – 06:00 (Sun 9 October) No bridge lifts available

Priority will be given to commercial shipping but leisure craft will also be able to transit the bridge. Please give as much notice as possible to avoid delays. If talks are successful and industrial action is avoided a cancellation notice will be issued.

NOTE that further restrictions are expected on Sunday 30 October for a film shoot.

Industrial action by the rail union RMT is expected to disrupt the operation of Kingsferry Bridge. Strikes are planned for June 21st, 23rd and 25th; however, the impact will also affect periods outside of these days. Normal service will be maintained up to 06:00 on Tuesday 21st June and will not resume until the 26th. Network Rail have implemented a contingency plan to cater for the spells of industrial action meaning the bridge will be manned and lifts available over the following dates and time periods:

Tuesday 21st June 2022 Midnight – 06:00 and 08:00 – 20:00
Wednesday 22nd June 2022 06:00 – Midnight
Thursday 23rd June 2022 Midnight – 18:00
Friday 24th June 2022 06:00 – Midnight
Saturday 25th June 2022 Midnight – 06:00 and 07:00 – 19:00

Priority will be given to commercial shipping, however, leisure craft will also be able to transit the bridge but it is advised to give as much notice as possible to avoid delays. If talks between employers and the unions are successful and industrial action is avoided a cancellation notice will be issued.