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Wednesday 12 Sep 2018

Passengers reminded to check before travelling ahead of £9.5 million investment to provide a more reliable railway through Devon and Dorset

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Rail passengers travelling through Devon and Dorset have been reminded to check their journeys before travelling from this weekend as Network Rail delivers a £9.5 million scheme to protect a flood-prone stretch of railway in the south west.

Two 40m long underground structures, each made up of fourteen individual 40-tonne culvert sections, will be installed on sites at Axe Farm and Broom Lane in the Axe Valley, reducing the likelihood of flooding from a one in five year risk to a one in twenty year risk*.

In order to complete this work, the line will be closed between Crewkerne and Exeter from Saturday 15 September until Sunday 23 September and a bus replacement service will be in operation. 

This nine-day programme of work will see the track removed and embankments excavated at both sites, with around 9,000 tonnes of earth set to be removed before the flood defences are installed.

More than 100 members of Network Rail’s ‘team orange’ will deliver the project, which began in May and is set for completion in December this year.

The work, being delivered in partnership with the Environment Agency, will not affect Great Western Railway services between Exmouth and Exeter / Paignton.

Details of the revised timetables and bus replacement services can be found on SWR’s website:

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/crewkerne-to-exeter-line-closure

Rebecca Wells, senior project manager for Network Rail, said:

“I’d like to thank passengers in advance for their patience as we undertake this vital flood resilience work in the Axe Valley as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.

“Flooding can be devastating for local communities and it’s crucial we do all we can to protect the railway and keep the train service moving.

“This £9.5 million investment will significantly reduce the risk of the line flooding in the area and provide a better, more reliable railway for passengers and the local community for many years to come.”

A South Western Railway spokesperson said:

“We would like to apologise for customers for any inconvenience caused by Network Rail’s engineering works. The work will, however, make the West of England line more resilient to adverse weather, reducing the risk of disruption caused by heavy rainfall.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

*according to Environment Agency flood risk modelling.