Major bridge repairs keep railway line shut

The railway line will remain shut for about a week

A railway line between Devon and Cornwall is set to remain closed until 21 September for urgent bridge repair work, Great Western Railway (GWR) has confirmed.

The operator said trains between Plymouth in Devon and Gunnislake in Cornwall had been cancelled while repairs to the "major bridge" took place.

It comes after National Rail said engineers found "structural issues" during a routine inspection of Darkey Lane Bridge.

GWR said some alterations to the train service would start on Monday and would be in place for at least a week.

National Rail said said the structural issues made the bridge "unsafe to pass".

"Due to the complex nature of the structure, it is expected that the bridge will remain closed until further notice," it said.

GWR said trains would only be running between Plymouth and Calstock, where road transport would be available for customers to complete their journey.

It said road transport would be operating on Sunday.

In Plymouth, Devonport, Dockyard, Keyham and St. Budeaux Road would continue to be served by trains running between the city and Penzance, it added.