Media centre

Wednesday 10 Sep 2014

Work commences on the final section of walkway at Dawlish

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Network Rail’s ‘orange army’ has reached an important milestone at Dawlish by starting improvement work on the final section of walkway between Rockstone and Coast Guard footbridges.

Once completed, this improvement work will mean that every section of the walkway from Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth is once again open to the public. The work includes building a new wall in front of the existing sea wall to provide further protection against any future extreme weather, and reconstructing the walkway so that its height is level with the sections on either side. This will mean that it can be used in all tidal conditions, whereas historically this section was not accessible during high tides.

To undertake this extensive work and ensure the railway can continue to operate as normal, a temporary barge has been set up on the beach, next to the railway line, to act as a base from which the ‘orange army’ can work. Next month, a second barge will be installed in order that the work can be completed as expediently as possible.

Tom Kirkham, project manager at Network Rail, said: “Commencing our construction on this last section of walkway marks a significant step in the progress of our work to repair the damage caused by the storms and make the area more resilient for the future.

“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.”

It is anticipated that the improvement work on this section of walkway will continue until early next year. During this time, the walkway will remain closed and the high tide diversion route via Exeter Road will remain in place.

Detailed below are the latest updates on the other work continuing to take place at Dawlish:

Dawlish Warren to Dawlish
The overflow car park at Dawlish Warren station is now fully open for public use.

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