HUNDREDS of commuters were left frustrated, angry and late for work today after engineering works overran on a busy Kent train line.

Passengers travelling on the Ashford to London line, which runs via Maidstone East, were held up this morning.

Engineering works between Maidstone East and Lenham should have been completed overnight, but piles of ballast were still on the tracks early this morning.

All trains on the line between Ashford and Otford had to be cancelled as a result. A total of 40 trains were affected, with commuters left waiting at stations including Charing, Lenham, Harrietsham, Hollingbourne, Bearsted, Maidstone East, Barming, East Malling, West Malling, Borough Green, Wrotham, and Kemsing.

Buses replaced trains, but most commuters arrived late for work, with some not reaching their desks until after 10am.

Sarah Boundy, South Eastern Trains spokeswoman, said: "We understand it will have been extremely frustrating for people trying to get to work on that line.

"We took passengers to Otford and Sevenoaks where they could pick up other London lines, some buses went fast to Sevenoaks and others called at the smaller stations picking up passengers."

One commuter, 26-year-old civil servant, Chris Steel, said he was told by station staff at Maidstone East that he would be in London by 9am. But by 8.40am he was still on a bus picking up passengers at Borough Green.

He said: "This is the second time in two days my train has not appeared. I have a very important presentation this morning. Someone needs to take our shambolic rail service by the scruff of the neck."

Both trains to and from London on the line were cancelled and the service only returned to normal by 10am.

Steve Turner, spokesman for Network Rail, which was carrying out the work in preparation for hot weather, said: "Obviously Network Rail apologise to passengers for the delays. We had engineering staff out on site working to solve the problems. This work was vital.”