Media centre

Wednesday 6 Aug 2014

'Orange army' continues its work at Dawlish

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Network Rail’s ‘orange army’ is continuing to work hard at Dawlish to repair the damage caused by the storms at the beginning of the year and to put in place measures to protect the area against any future extreme weather.

Since the reopening of the railway line on 4 April, engineers have been working round-the-clock to repair the damage caused to the sea wall and walkways. This has increasingly involved working during the night and at weekends, as staff work around train services.

While the work to repair the damage is nearing completion, further work is ongoing to prevent future closures caused by extreme weather. This work will continue until early next year and involves stabilising parts of the cliff between Teignmouth and Dawlish by removing slipped material, and adding netting and nailing to prevent any movement towards the track.

Tom Kirkham, Project Manager at Network Rail, said: “The reopening of the railway at Dawlish was just the start of a long process, not only to repair the damage caused by the storms but to make the area more weatherproof for the future.

“We understand that local residents are keen that this work be completed as soon as possible and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. I would like to thank the local community for their continued patience and support, and reassure them that our staff are working round-the-clock to complete this essential work as quickly and safely as possible.”

Detailed below are the latest updates on the work being undertaken:

Dawlish Warren to Dawlish

 

• The section of walkway from Boat Cove to Coast Guard footbridge is open

• The section of walkway from Dawlish Warren to Rockstone footbridge opened on 3 June, two weeks ahead of schedule

• The majority of the overflow car park at Dawlish Warren station is now available again for public use

• Due to essential work being undertaken to raise the lower walkway between Coast Guard and Rockstone Bridge, this section will remain closed until early next year.

• The high tide diversionary route via Exeter Road will remain in place for the duration of this work.

 

Teignmouth to Smugglers Lane

 

• It is anticipated that the section of sea wall walkway between Teignmouth and Smugglers Lane will be reopened to the public on 12 August. This follows the challenging work of stabilising parts of the cliff and the extended work to repair Sprey Point ramp.

• In order to accommodate cliff stabilisation work between Teignmouth and Smugglers Lane, the walkway will be closed overnight on Saturdays. Overnight closures may also occur on some mid-week days, but only if it is essential.