Fans face rail replacement buses for FA Vase final

Football supporters hoping to travel by train from Kent to London for the FA Vase final are being urged to set off early as replacement buses will be used.

On Sunday, Whitstable Town FC are taking on AFC Whyteleafe at 12:15 BST, with up to 10,000 fans expected to cheer on the Kent side at Wembley Stadium.

There are no trains running from Whitstable Station on the day and a replacement bus service, calling at Whitstable, is running between Ramsgate and Faversham.

Extra bus services between Whitstable and Faversham have been planned and additional trains between Victoria and Faversham will also run.

Planned engineering work had been scheduled before the tournament started, Southeastern said.

Supporters planning to make the trip have been urged to check Southeastern's website, app or X channel before they travel and to leave extra time for their journey.

Whitstable Town FC chairman Steve Clayton thanked Southeastern for their "collaboration and assistance".

"We appreciate their commitment to helping make this occasion special for everyone involved," he added.

Matchday replacement buses will run from:

• Faversham and Margate - calling at all stations.

• Faversham and Margate - calling at Whitstable, Herne Bay and Birchington-on-Sea only.

• Margate and Ramsgate - calling at all stations.

• Margate and Ramsgate - calling at Broadstairs only.

The first replacement bus from Whitstable departs at 07:06 and is expected to take about 20 minutes to get to Faversham.

High-speed train services from Faversham to St Pancras International in London start from 07:00 and run on the hour, while Faversham to Victoria services begin at 07:37.

Southeastern said a queuing system would be used if needed and regular customers were advised to avoid travelling on replacement buses towards Faversham before 10:00, if possible.

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