MPs want to see funding allocated to protect rail line

The Devon and Cornwall rail network is only one severe storm away from being decapitated at Dawlish

- by GUY HENDERSON Local Democracy Reporter [e-mail]

THE Government is being urged to do more to protect the vulnerable railway line in and out of Devon.

During a debate on the HS2 project to deliver more and faster trains between London and the north of England, a number of MPs highlighted rail problems in their own areas.

Among them was the coastal section of the line through Dawlish, which was breached during a severe storm in 2014, leading to an eight-week closure which meant much of Devon and all of Cornwall being cut off from the network.

Since then, a major programme of work has strengthened the sea wall and improved its chances of withstanding future storms.