Exeter flooding brings rail chaos as key Devon routes remain closed

Rail passengers in Exeter are facing ongoing disruption after severe flooding across Devon forced multiple rail lines to close, with safety checks on bridges delaying any return to normal.

Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) confirmed that the Exeter St Davids to Barnstaple and Exeter St Davids to Okehampton lines remain closed, with no trains running and poor road conditions preventing replacement buses. The Liskeard to Looe and Par to Newquay lines are also affected.

The closures follow a week of back-to-back storms that left large sections of the regional rail network underwater, washed away track foundations, and raised concerns over the stability of bridges along the routes. 

A yellow weather warning for heavy rain was in place across Devon from midday on Monday 2 February until Tuesday morning, raising the risk that already saturated rivers and ground could delay repairs further.

Chris Fuoco of Network Rail said engineers had begun repairing damaged tracks, but bridge inspections on the Exeter branch lines were proving a major obstacle. 

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“We’ve had flooding in 25 different locations on the two Exeter branch lines,” he explained. 

“In many places the ballast underneath the track has been completely washed away. Over the weekend we saw river levels drop, but the speed of the water is still a problem.”

“For those structures to reopen we need specialist divers to check the foundations. With more rain forecast, we expect river levels to rise again, which will delay inspections.”

Earlier in the week, Exeter passengers also faced disruption on the main line between Taunton and Exeter St Davids, which was closed due to deep, fast-moving floodwater at Hele, north of the city. Only limited replacement buses were able to operate. 

Emergency engineering work between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot caused an overnight closure from 7pm on Wednesday 28 January until 7am on Thursday 29 January after an 8m by 3.5m sinkhole opened near Dawlish following Storm Ingrid.

During that closure, services ran between London and Exeter St Davids, and between Newton Abbot and Penzance, with replacement buses linking Exeter, Newton Abbot, Plymouth, and Tiverton Parkway. 

The Night Riviera Sleeper between Paddington and Penzance was cancelled in both directions.

Marcus Jones, Network Rail’s Western route director, apologised for the disruption. “Intense rainfall over the past few days caused significant flooding, and we had to close four branch lines as a result,” he said. 

“Our teams were on the ground around the clock, working as quickly as we safely could to assess the impact. Once the water receded, safety inspections were carried out before the lines could reopen. Given the scale of the flooding, disruption was expected for several days on the branch lines.”

Passengers were urged to check journey planners via the GWR website or National Rail Enquiries. Tickets dated Tuesday 27 January were valid on alternative dates up to and including Thursday 29 January, or a full refund could be claimed.

Chris Fuoco added that wet weather during the repair period slowed work on the Exeter branch lines, which had flooded in 25 locations. 

“The flooding washed away the foundations of the tracks and raised concerns about the stability of bridges,” he said. 

“Repairs have been carried out to the tracks, but the bridges remain closed. We had to wait for river levels to drop and for specialist divers to check the foundations before trains could safely return.”

Network Rail warned that further disruption remained possible if heavy rain continued to hit already saturated ground, and passengers were advised to plan travel carefully. 

Replacement services and local bus ticket acceptance were available in some areas, though delays were expected due to ongoing flooding on local roads.