Sea Wall Collapse Forces Ongoing Closure of Only Rail Route to South-West

Rail links to the south-west of England have been disrupted after storm damage forced the partial closure of the region’s only main railway route. Services remain suspended following the collapse of coastal defences alongside the line at Dawlish.

Great Western Railway warned customers not to attempt journeys between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot, saying the extent of the damage made the route unsafe. The failure occurred as a storm battered the south Devon coastline from Friday night into Saturday, bringing severe weather conditions.

The sea wall that shields the railway from the sea gave way at two separate points, leaving the track exposed to heavy seas. Network Rail responded by issuing a black alert, its highest level of warning, as waves reaching around 12ft struck the vulnerable stretch of line.

Such an alert is rarely used and has only been issued once before, when violent storms in February 2014 tore up sections of the railway at Dawlish and cut off rail access to much of the south-west for weeks.

In the aftermath of the storm, a two-mile section of track was left strewn with debris. Around half of the affected area was cleared on Saturday, but further work is still required to remove the remaining material and carry out safety inspections before trains can resume.

GWR said:

"Due to damage caused by Storm Ingrid the lines between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot remain closed until further notice. Please do not attempt to travel on this route. For those needing to make their journey, replacement transport is available at Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot."

UPDATE:

It has now been confirmed that the line has been reopened and a limited service can now pass through the area. Delays and service amendments are still expected whilst service recovery is ongoing.

Image: Network Rail