Dawlish sea wall drop-in events were planned

February 22, 2019 - Network Rail announced community drop-in sessions in Exeter and Torquay to update local communities about ongoing work to improve the resilience of the stretch of railway that connects the South West with the rest of the country.

The community drop-in events followed on from Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s announcement that £80m would be made available to increase the height of the sea wall at Dawlish to protect this vital rail artery for the region.

During the evening of February 4, 2014, a storm brought south-easterly winds which helped the sea punch an 80-metre-long hole in the wall east of Dawlish station. Repairs were already quickly underway when, 10 days later, on February 14, a further 20 metres collapsed as storms continued to batter the region.

At the drop-in events representatives from Network Rail provided an update on the ongoing work to repair breakwaters at Dawlish, as well as details of the recently submitted plans for an improved sea wall at Dawlish.