The Rail Minister visited Dawlish today (Friday 1 April) and announced that another £32m would be spent on installing new netting and fencing on the cliffs above the railway between Dawlish and Holcombe.

The steel netting and fencing will prevent rocks and loose material from falling onto the tracks below, and will be attached to the cliffs from the Colonnade breakwater near Dawlish station to the rockfall shelter north of Parson's Tunnel.

The railway will remain fully open while the work is carried out, and it is expected to be complete in summer 2023.

The high cost is due to having to use specialist equipment and tackle logistical challenges.

It comes as part of a wider £155m government investment in the railway at Dawlish, prompted by the 2014 storm that damaged the tracks and severed transport links to the South West beyond the town.

Minister of State for Transport Wendy Morton MP 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."

What's next?

Work on the first section of the sea wall 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 September this year.

Work on the rockfall shelter north of Parson's Tunnel between Dawlish and Holcombe began in late 2021 and is ongoing.

A future project still in development will focus on a mile-long stretch of the railway between Holcombe and Teignmouth where the 2014 landslip occurred.

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