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Kent County Council (KCC) has awarded the £18.6 million contract to Erith Contractors Limited to deliver the major Bean Road Underpass project - a key element of the Fastrack programme, which aims to improve sustainable transport links across Kent Thameside.Part funded by the Department for Transport, the project supports KCC’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, designed to encourage greater bus use and make Kent’s services more sustainable for the future. Further funding has been provided by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and Bluewater, plus a contribution from Eastern Quarry Ltd.The Bean Road Underpass will create a new 75-metre tunnel beneath the B255 Bean Road, connecting Whitecliffe (formerly Eastern Quarry) with Bluewater Shopping Centre. This direct link will form part of the Fastrack bus rapid transit system, improving connectivity between new residential developments, Bluewater, and Ebbsfleet International Railway Station.The underpass will include a Fastrack busway, as well as a footway and cycleway.Peter Osborne, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “This £18.6 million investment marks one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Kent Thameside in recent years. The Bean Road Underpass will transform how people travel across the area, creating faster, greener connections between new communities, Bluewater, and Ebbsfleet International.‘Thanks to funding from the Department for Transport, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and Bluewater, plus a contribution from Eastern Quarry Ltd, this project will deliver long-term benefits for residents, businesses, and visitors.”Pre-construction survey works will need to take place from January to allow essential monitoring equipment and rock netting to be installed ahead of the main tunnelling works, which are scheduled to begin in Summer 2026.For the safety of the teams carrying out the works, staggered lane closures will need to be in place on the B255 and Bluewater Parkway for up to five months.To reduce the impact on road users, the works have been carefully planned to minimise disruption where possible, including nighttime closures where possible.For more information about this project, visit: Bean Road Fastrack Scheme - Kent County Council.

Kent County Council (KCC), in partnership with Stagecoach, is enhancing public transport connectivity in Dover with an extended Fastrack timetable that better aligns with Southeastern’s High Speed services from Dover Priory.From Monday 8 December, the Fastrack timetables will be extended seven days a week. Monday to Saturday services will be timed to meet the first and last High Speed Rail services to and from London.This update marks a significant milestone, with Dover Fastrack now reaching its full intended timetable, having previously been made shorter. The improved schedule will make it easier for passengers to transfer between bus and rail, creating smoother, more efficient journeys and supporting the local community’s access to London.In addition, a new trial bus service, Route 66, operated by Stagecoach, will launch to the Port of Dover, offering a direct and convenient link to one of the UK’s busiest transport hubs. This pilot route is dependent on passenger uptake to ensure its continuation – residents and visitors are encouraged to use the service to help secure its future.As part of the wider network update, Route 67 shuttle service will be withdrawn on Friday 5 December due to consistently low passenger numbers. Introduced last year as a 12-month trial funded through the overall Dover Fastrack budget, the service was subject to review based on usage.To help maintain connectivity for areas previously covered by Route 67, the new Port of Dover service will include Whitfield. Buckland Hospital and the River area will continue to be served by Route 64, ensuring ongoing access to public transport.Spencer Dixon, Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “I’m pleased to see Dover Fastrack reaching its full potential with this extended timetable. These improvements will make public transport more reliable and accessible for residents, especially those commuting to and from London.‘The new link to the Port of Dover is an exciting addition, which I encourage everyone to use to help ensure its long-term success. Maintaining connectivity is a top priority for KCC. We are thankful to Stagecoach that the Port of Dover service includes Whitfield, and that other areas such as Buckland Hospital and River continue to be served.”Joel Mitchell, Managing Director for Stagecoach South East, said: “We are pleased to be introducing the new Route 66 as a pilot, which strengthens local connections and provides an important link to the Port of Dover. We recognised the need to maintain access for communities previously served by Route 67, which is why we ensured Whitfield is included within the new route. We’re committed to supporting Dover’s transport network and look forward to welcoming customers on board.”For more information and the new timetables visit:  Fastrack timetable extension and new Port of Dover service | Stagecoach

The new bus lane on Pencester Road in Dover is now complete and will start to be used by Dover Fastrack from Sunday 20 April.The Pencester Road Bus priority scheme will improve the reliability of Dover Fastrack and will allow better access to the town centre and connections to existing bus services throughout Dover.The scheme has included:adding a contraflow bus and cycle lane along Pencester Roadadding a new northbound bus stop on Pencester Road outside Poundlandrealigning kerbs and pavements at the Biggin Street and Maison Dieu Road junctionsinstalling traffic lights and improved pedestrian crossings in the areaThe new junction signals will be switched on during Saturday 19 April, prior to the opening of the bus lane.Simon Jones, Kent County Council’s Corporate Director, Growth, Environment and Transport, said: “The new bus lane on Pencester Road will be ready for buses to use from Sunday 20 April. The bus lane will support Stagecoach to improve the local bus network, giving local people more reliable and well-connected bus services in Dover.”Stagecoach is currently making arrangements to transfer the Fastrack service to the new bus lane. The updated timetable will be available on their website before the start date: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables.

Temporary changes designed to optimise journey times are set to be introduced on Fastrack Kent Thameside services in response to the continued closure of Galley Hill Road.They will come into force from Saturday 5 April and will build on the service reliability improvements delivered by the November 2024 timetable change.A summary of the key changes include:Fastrack B will have no stops between Bluewater and Ebbsfleet International, providing a journey time saving of 12 minutes between Ebbsfleet International and Bluewater.A new shuttle service (Fastrack F) will run every 12 minutes to connect Bluewater, Greenhithe and Ingress Park. Through ticketing will be available between Fastrack B and F at no extra cost to service users, with a change of bus at Bluewater.Fastrack B to serve Temple Hill, replacing Fastrack C and serving the eastern half of Temple Hill in both directions.Fastrack B to increase in frequency to up to every 12 minutes (from every 15 minutes currently).As well as delivering improved journey times and more frequent journeys between Gravesend, Ebbsfleet and Bluewater, this timetable change will also lay the groundwork for further changes expected in August 2025 on Route A.From August (subject to the completion of the Fastrack busway in the Ebbsfleet Garden City), Fastrack A will extend from Bluewater to Gravesend via Castle Hill and Ebbsfleet International.This will initially operate every 15 minutes and will be implemented from the April timetable change between Bluewater and Dartford via The Bridge prior to the August extension of Route A.This change comes ahead of the introduction of the new electric fleet on Fastrack, which is due to be rolled out on Route B from late Spring, with further routes to follow.These adjustments will have an impact on residents living near to Galley Hill Road, particularly in terms of connectivity. KCC has put in place a mechanism so users will not pay twice for what would usually be a single trip with interchange opportunities at Bluewater maximised.Neil Baker, Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, said: “The Galley Hill collapse has caused Fastrack significant operational issues. We know that the most important aspects of bus travel for passengers are value for money and journey times.“Against the local trend, Fastrack has retained the £2 fare cap and these service changes will make journey times on Fastrack significantly quicker overall.“We remain committed to all communities on our network and the measures taken to introduce the F shuttle service is a temporary solution until the reopening of Galley Hill.”For a detailed breakdown of the changes on each route along with details of ticketing arrangements, please see www.kent-fastrack.co.uk/

Kent County Council (KCC) has intervened to protect a number of bus services in Ashford that were at risk of being cancelled.Following a review of Ashford services, Stagecoach were due to withdraw several operations in March, including:the 2 and 2A from Ashford to Tenterdenthe 10 from Folkestone to Ashfordthe 14 from Ashford to Wyecertain journeys on the G-Line from Godinton Park to South Willesboroughcertain journeys on the 666 from Eureka Park.KCC has been able to use bus grant funding awarded by Central Government to fund contracts that will allow these services to continue for at least the next twelve months.Residents will notice some other changes to their services from March, including the renumbering of services, however, the funding provided through KCC will ensure that residents continue to have access to a bus service.Recently, KCC was awarded £22 million of funding to protect services and deliver improvements during 2025/26. While this is welcome news, the cost of sustaining buses in Kent continues to grow. With fewer people getting the bus, and rising costs since the pandemic, the council is warning of the financial pressures of sustaining Kent’s network.Neil Baker, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “While the majority of bus services across Kent fall outside the remit of the County Council and are operated on a fully commercial basis, I am keen that we step in when appropriate to avoid what is a very fragile bus network contracting even further.“Bus companies can, and do, change and cut services for commercial reasons. While it is impossible for us to use funding to reverse these decisions, we consider whether we can intervene on a case-by-case basis.“I am pleased that we have been able to use Government Bus Grant funding to save these services in Ashford, but the cost of supporting services that previously didn’t require any additional funding is a concern and a pressure for KCC. While we have been able to support now,  a long-term funding plan from Government is needed to secure a safe future for buses across Kent.”The changes to these and other services in the area take place from Sunday 2 March. More information on the changes can be found on the Stagecoach website.

Construction on a major highways improvement scheme on Rennie Drive in Dartford, which will support the delivery of the Kent Thameside Fastrack bus service, is now complete.The £2.5 million scheme is fully funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) as part of their multi-million-pound National Bus Strategy package allocated to Kent County Council (KCC) forbus service improvements across Kent.The scheme has been designed to reduce the impact of the Dartford Crossing congestion in the area and support commuters. With more people making use of the Kent Thameside Fastrack bus service than ever before, a reliable and faster service is essential in maintaining bus use and supporting economic growth. An aerial view of the completed Rennie Drive.The work, which started in March 2024 with Amey as principal contractor in collaboration with Steadline limited, included creating a new bus lane within Rennie Drive which gives buses priority over other traffic. Traffic signals have been changed to allow buses to turn left or right in or out of the junction of Rennie Drive and the Kent Fastway over the A282. It is expected that this will reduce journey times by two minutes per trip.In addition, improvements have been made to crossings in the area to provide better access to pedestrians and cyclists.Neil Baker, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “I am pleased that construction is now complete on Rennie Drive, which needed improvements to support the Kent Thameside Fastrack services.‘Fastrack services across Kent are among the busiest in the county, with bus priority being an essential part of why passengers rely on them.‘It is one of our priorities to make public transport a real alternative to cars. This has been a significant investment and will bring lasting improvements to the Dartford bus network.”Working collaboratively, Amey and Steadline Limited were pleased to deliver key Fastrack improvements along the Rennie Drive Junction on behalf of KCC.A spokesperson from Steadline Limited said: “This has been a rewarding scheme. We have had a long-term presence here and are proud to see the improvements our works have made to this busy junction. It has been a privilege working alongside KCC and Amey on this project.’Andrew Thompson, Go Ahead’s Head of Kent Fastrack, added: “Since taking over the operation of Fastrack services in November, we are proud to have delivered an immediate improvement in service reliability for our customers, keeping communities connected across Kent Thameside.‘The opening of this scheme is a beneficial addition to the innovative highway measures that support the operation of the Fastrack network. The scheme will reduce journey times and bring further improvements to service reliability, transforming customer journeys for the better."

Construction of the Bath Street Fastrack bus lane is now complete, enabling fast, reliable and efficient transport across Kent Thameside.Fully funded by a grant from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, the project is part of the Fastrack programme providing frequent, reliable and high quality bus services designed to connect existing and new communities across Gravesham, Dartford and Ebbsfleet.Construction started in March 2023, with Kent County Council (KCC) appointing Jacksons as the principle contractor to complete the works.The scheme has seen the road widened, creating a new bus lane which connects West Street to the Gravesend Bus Hub Fastrack stops on Garrick Street to the south via New Road.In addition, improvements have been made to the existing toucan crossings near Clifton Road to provide better access to pedestrians and cyclists.Neil Baker, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “I am pleased that construction is now complete on the Bath Street Fastrack bus lane.‘Fastrack services are among the busiest in the county, so it is essential that we provide reliable services with fast journey times.‘This is big step towards a fully integrated sustainable Fastrack network, making public transport a real alternative to cars for many people around the town.”Steve Horton, Jackson Reginal Director says:  “We are pleased to have played an important role in delivering a key section of the Fastrack programme in Gravesend, working closely with our client, Kent County Council, to minimise disruption to the public, whilst constructing the scheme in a busy part of the town”.A spokesperson from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation: “Ebbsfleet Development Corporation are pleased to have funded the improvements to the Bath Street contra flow bus lane, along with facilitating upgrades to the existing crossing.‘The Fastrack bus service is a vital piece of the infrastructure connecting the new communities in Ebbsfleet to Gravesham town centre, and this initiative represents our commitment to improving local infrastructure and enhancing access to public transport. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on residents, commuters and local community."