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last mo.

Government Pauses Final Cliff-Stabilisation Works on Dawlish Rail Line

Local MPs say halting an £80 million cliff-stabilisation package could expose the only rail link to Devon and Cornwall to renewed storm damage.

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Lack of funding leaves Devon rail route vulnerable to collapse

Overview

  • The UK Government announced on July 9 that it has paused funding for the fifth and final cliff-stabilisation phase on the Dawlish-Teignmouth section of the London-to-Penzance rail line with no timeline for when the works will resume.
  • Network Rail has completed four resilience phases including seawall reinforcement and a rebuilt station at Dawlish, but at least £80 million remains unallocated for the crucial cliff works.
  • Rail Minister Lord Hendy warned South West MPs last December that the final phase would cost substantially more than the previous four combined, a projection cited in the decision to freeze funds.
  • Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley said sandstone cliffs collapse roughly every 10–15 years and noted that the 2014 failure caused an eight-week shutdown and about £1.2 billion in economic losses.
  • Local representatives and industry experts caution that further delays risk severing the South West’s only rail link, potentially disrupting services and inflicting severe economic damage in Devon and Cornwall.