You'd be forgiven for thinking someone was about to start drilling for oil off the coast of Dawlish, when this strange-looking marine contraption appears next week.

But it's not an oil rig – it's an amazing piece of equipment that will play a key part in Network Rail's huge project to build new sea defences for protecting our vital train line.

It's called a WaveWalker, it's the only one of its kind in Europe, and this will be the first time something like it has been used in work to maintain the UK rail network.

It has two moveable sets of four legs, which enable the machine to 'walk' through the water and safely access the sea face of the railway embankment along Marine Parade to deliver the piling at the sea wall.

The machine, known as a jack-up barge, can operate safely in the high tidal conditions that would otherwise restrict the times that sea-facing work could be carried out.

When will it arrive in Dawlish?

The WaveWalker was due to be brought in by tug on Tuesday, November 3, in preparation for the next phase of work on the new sea wall to begin on Thursday. But because of the bad weather on Tuesday, its arrival has been postponed until Sunday, November 8. Network Rail will provide further updates nearer the time.

This section, from Dawlish railway station to the Coastguard breakwater east of the station, is expected to be completed in late 2021. The final part, between the station and the Colonnade breakwater, will be built shortly afterwards.

Once complete, the 415 metre-section of new sea wall will be higher than the existing wall, with a curved edge to send waves back towards the sea. It will have a high-level, wider and safer promenade, and provide pedestrian access to the beach and a station footbridge with lifts.

It is part of the £80 million upgrade to give the railway and the town better protection from extreme weather and rising sea levels, created through detailed studies, designs and joint working between world-leading marine, coastal and railway engineering experts.

Dawlish Nub News will be at the launch event

Network Rail and its contractors BAM Nuttall will hold a major launch event to mark the next phase of work, and Dawlish Nub News will be there to bring our readers all the latest information and insights on this huge development for our town.