Presentations on new plans still in development to protect the railway between Parson's Tunnel and Teignmouth will be held this month, Network Rail has announced.

It comes after significant opposition to the rail company's previous plans for the 1.8km stretch of railway put forward in 2020, which included moving the tracks away from the cliffs and building new sea defences.

There are no firm proposals yet, but engineers are reportedly "working hard to find a solution" that does not impact the beaches between Holcombe and Teignmouth. This includes looking at what could be done without moving the tracks.

Network Rail said that the cliffs could be stabilised with a range of solutions "from soil nailing and netting to groundwater management".

The risk to the railway from the sea would be addressed in a future programme of work.

Network Rail senior sponsor Julie Gregory said: "We are now looking at a targeted approach, meaning the risk for 14 separate sections of cliff will be assessed and a bespoke solution will be developed for each.

"The risk from the sea would be addressed in the future as our priority for now is to stabilise the cliffs and make this vital stretch of railway more resilient.

"We know the community wants to retain the beach and we are examining how we can leave the railway where it is but still make sure we protect it from the risk of landslips and falling debris.

"If the analysis of our detailed investigations concludes we do not need to move the tracks, there would be no loss of beach between Holcombe and Teignmouth."

The presentations, followed by question-and-answer sessions, will be held at at Holcombe Village Hall on 24 and 30 November, and at Pavilions Teignmouth on 21 and 28 November.

You must have a ticket to enter. Click here to find out how to get tickets.

What is the progress of other projects at the railway?

Work on the first section of the sea wall at Dawlish from Kennaway Tunnel at Boat Cove along Marine Parade to the Colonnade breakwater (on Dawlish Town Beach) was completed in July 2020.

The second section of the sea wall is from the Colonnade breakwater to the Coastguard breakwater. Work began in November 2020 and is expected to be complete in December.

Work on the rockfall shelter north of Parson's Tunnel between Dawlish and Holcombe began in late 2021 and is ongoing. Netting and fencing work on the cliffs between Dawlish and Holcombe to protect the railway from falling debris will start in spring 2023.

A new accessible footbridge with lifts at Dawlish railway station is due to open next summer after work began in September.