Network Rail reveal Dawlish alternative route choice
Network Rail has revealed its choice for an alternative railway line to the heavily damaged Dawlish line today.
The plans come as the rail authority had consider an alternative to the current coastal line after the recent storms destroyed an 80m section of track near Dawlish.
The potential route from Okehampton to Plymouth via Tavistock through areas of Dartmoor National Park has already come under criticism from transport campaigners as it bypasses large areas of South Devon.
Calling for further rail investment, transport campaigner Martyn Goss said: “It is essential that local train services to Dawlish and Teignmouth (and on to Torbay) are preserved, but this does mean making a second route viable sooner rather than later.
“The Okehampton line has its attractions but this should be seen as an addition not instead of the Teign Valley option.”
The Teign Valley option which would see a route travel via Christow and Heathfield and the Okehampton line are among three routes discussed locally in recent years.
The third option known as the Dawlish avoiding route would have passed inland behind Teignmouth and Dawlish avoiding the current coastal route.
However, according to the BBC, Network Rail is only considering the Okehampton to Plymouth line as a likely option.
An outline study conducted by Network rail last year found that the secondary route would cost hundreds of millions of pounds to complete.
The current route through Dawlish is currently undergoing extensive repair work but is not expected to be re-opened until mid-April.
A spokesman for Network Rail described the repair process: “work to protect the damaged sea wall site in Dawlish from the sea is going well in between high tides.
“A row of shipping containers is being put in place and filled with rubble to provide a breakwater, while concrete spraying has continued, in order to protect the vulnerable sub-soil.”
A bus service is currently replacing the line between Exeter St. Davids and Newton Abbot for passengers on the line.
In the wake of the damage to the Dawlish Line, several local politicians have called for government action on in proposing a new route.
Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw said: “The government needs to ensure that it’s repaired and operable again as soon as possible. But the government also needs to do a review into a long term re-routing of the line.”
Conservative MP for Newton Abbot, Anne Marie Morris, writes on Twitter: “To be clear- my position on future of railway line - Dawlish line is sacrosanct as far as I am concerned -crucial to local economy [and] people.”
Last Friday, local MPs met with Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to discuss the future of rail services including a review to be launched on a line re-route.
However, South West Green party Candidate, Dr Molly Scott Cato was critical of the response.
Dr Scott Cato said: “Suddenly, now there’s a crisis, we hear from local MPs that there is money available having been told repeatedly there isn’t any money. I am not impressed at this idea of waiting for a crisis before we act.
“What we know about climate change is that there will be more unpredictability and more crises. If we weren’t spending money on HS2 there would be plenty of money for opening up a series of regional railway lines and that would be better for the quality of life for people in the South West and a boost for the regional economy, particularly for tourism.”
Picture courtsey of network rail.
