Passengers in the South West will benefit from more reliable train journeys thanks to a new £82 million government funded sea wall protecting the vital coastal rail route in Dawlish.
The work in Dawlish forms part of the £165 million South West Resilience Programme and delivers on a government pledge to create a more resilient railway following devastating storms in 2014, which damaged the tracks beyond use for 8 weeks and disconnected passengers from the network.
The completion of the works marks a major milestone for the programme and will offer a promenade and new public areas for the local community. Ongoing work by Network Rail also continues to develop a new, accessible footbridge with lifts at Dawlish Station.
Further cliff protection work, to deliver 2 additional phases of the programme, continues at pace including a rockfall shelter at Holcombe, along the coast from Dawlish.