Dawlish coastal rail route gets further £32m to protect line

Network Rail said so far the work had transformed the Dawlish coastline

A further £32m of government funding has been pledged to the Dawlish coastal rail route.

It will be used to install new netting and fencing along the rail link, future-proofing the line following the storms in 2014, the government said.

Three phases of work have already been carried out to prevent debris reaching the railway.

The sea wall has also been rebuilt along the Marine Parade and further cliff protection measures added.

The open-sided rockfall shelter would protect the railway "for generations to come", Network Rail said

In 2014 the railway was damaged beyond use for six weeks after storms.

Following this, the South West Rail Resilience Programme (SWRRP) was launched and since then £155m of funding has been pledged for the South West in total, to ensure that communities will not be disconnected from the rail network for long periods of time.

The track at Dawlish was left dangling in the air after waves gouged out sea defences

Rail Minister, Wendy Morton said: "Devon's iconic sea wall, and the picturesque towns surrounding it, are jewels in the British crown, and we're committed to protecting this vital line and the communities it serves.

"Through our wider £155m investment, we're also working to boost connectivity and support the thriving local economy and tourism."

The total investment aims to level-up connections between communities in the South West, the government said.

Mike Gallop, Network Rail's western route director, said: "We are delighted to once again receive the support from government which enables us to carry out the next phase of our resilience work between Dawlish and Teignmouth.

"This will mean that passengers using GWR and CrossCountry services on this vital rail link to and from the South West will have more reliable journeys as the railway along the Devon coast will be better protected from rising sea levels, extreme weather, landslips and rockfalls for the next 100 years."