Storm-battered Dawlish rail line ‘held up well’ say ministers

Government ministers have pledged to keep South Devon’s vital rail link running reliably as winter storms increase.

Newton Abbot Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley raised concerns about the safety of the coastal line between Teignmouth and Dawlish after recent storms.
Waves battered coastal defences along the exposed stretch of line and, while the recently-upgraded defences around Dawlish station stood firm, an older section of sea wall was breached.
Mr Wrigley has also been campaigning for Network Rail to finish its planned resilience work on cliffs near Teignmouth. The cliff work will be the final phase of the massive rail line defence programme, but funding has not yet been found for it.
The MP says he fears a cliff fall in a future storm could cut off the rail line for months.
He asked transport ministers what assessments had been made of the most recent damage, and what plans there were to support long-term resilience improvements.
Department of Transport (DoT) under-secretary Keir Mather (Lab, Selby) said there had been improvements after £165million was invested into storm resilience around Dawlish after the catastrophic storms in 2014 which closed down the rail line for weeks.
He went on: “Despite the frequency of recent storms and their intensity, the works done since 2014 held up well and there were only two areas of damage, one a low wall between the coastal path and the railway, and the other a small breach some distance from the line, both of which have been made safe.
“The railway was not closed for long other than during the storms themselves, and held up remarkably well, a tribute to the works done since 2014. Nevertheless, Network Rail will continue to plan for similar events and pursue actions to keep the railway running reliably.”
Mr Wrigley also asked ministers to meet with Network Rail to discuss funding for the final phase of the South West Resilience Programme.
On this question DoT under-secretary Simon Lightwood (Lab, Wakefield and Rothwell) said departmental officials met Network Rail regularly.
He went on: “While the cliffs at Teignmouth were not affected by storms Ingrid and Chandra, officials are monitoring progress with the drainage and ground investigations work we have funded so far on Phase Five of the South West Rail Resilience Programme, which will inform options for a longer-term solution.
“The investment made to date in storm resilience around Dawlish after storms in 2014 has significantly improved resilience in this area and held up well despite the frequency of recent storms and their intensity.”