'Waterloo line must be dualled' - demands East Devon MP Richard Foord as rail chaos continues

East Devon MP Richard Foord has called on the Government to invest in critical rail infrastructure and dual the Waterloo line at Whimple, as disruption continues to cause misery for commuters into September.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, 11 September, Mr. Foord said the delays and reduced timetable on the South Western Railway service between Exeter St Davids and London Waterloo had left passengers frustrated and forced many onto roads and buses instead.

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The line has been running on a reduced timetable, cut from hourly to once every two hours, after a hot, dry summer weakened embankments and slowed services. A journey from Honiton to London can now take almost four hours.

Mr. Foord explained that dualling just a three-mile stretch of track at Whimple would allow an extra hourly shuttle service between Axminster and Exeter — doubling trains for Honiton and Axminster commuters.

After the debate, he said: “The infrequent service has meant either a lot of hanging around on platforms for commuters, more cars travelling into Exeter, or a very long bus journey. The South Western Railway service is simply not currently practical as a commuter service.”

The impact has been especially severe since September as students returned to schools and colleges, with hundreds travelling daily from Axminster and Honiton into Exeter.

Mr Foord also warned that climate change will bring more extreme weather and more delays in the future unless infrastructure is improved. “If a passing loop existed, it would at least have meant that the hourly service could have been maintained,” he said.

Calling for investment, he reminded ministers that the Waterloo line is one of only two rail routes into the South West and must be strengthened to serve local communities and the wider region.