Part of the line, which runs along a stretch of beach at Dawlish in Devon, was washed away by the sea in February 2014. It left Cornwall and most of Devon without a railway line to the rest of the country for several weeks. Network Rail said the wall will “protect the town and region for at least the next 100 years”.

Work continues on wall to protect Dawlish The wall and railway track was destroyed by high tides and stormy seas in February 2014. They were rebuilt and railway line reopened in April 2014.

A ferocious storm battered the south Devon coastline in Dawlish overnight on February 4 and 5, causing significant damage to the railway track, leaving thousands of people without power and forcing many local residents to abandon their homes.

Parts of Britain have been hit by a storm which destroyed a stretch of railway, forced people from their homes and left thousands without power. A section of the sea wall in Dawlish, Devon, collapsed and left the railway to Cornwall suspended in mid-air.

A cross-border railway line remains closed after two road bridges were “washed away” by torrential rain that swept through southern Scotland and Northern England.

Dawlish Sea Wall was damaged last night as a result of Storm Emma. Network Rail confirmed visual inspections were completed this meaning and that no structural damage was found. It added that a substantial amount of ballast was washed across the track along a 150 metre section of railway. …

Over 4 and 5 February 2014, very strong winds and high seas severely damaged the railway line that runs through Dawlish. The wall between the sea and the railway line breached; a section of the wall washed away, as did 80 metres of track, platforms at Dawlish railway station and sections of the coastal path.

Services

As the railway was the main access route for visitors and local residents Dawlish really did feel cut off! Thankfully we were blessed with the wonderful ‘Orange Army’ who did an exceptional job to get the town back on track quickly and the sea wall is now fully open for all to enjoy.

The new wall will add 4.2m to the height of the current 3.8m promenade, and its toe will extend, on average, 2.8m further out towards the sea. The wall includes a recurve at the top, as at Marine Parade, to help deflect waves and reduce ‘overtopping’ of water onto the track.

The sea undermined the wall north of Dawlish in 31 January 1869 leading to the collapse of 80 yards (73 m) of wall. A train was stopped at Dawlish where passengers were taken by road to the Warren to join a special train, even though there was no station at the Warren at this time!

Over 4 and 5 February 2014, very strong winds and high seas severely damaged the railway line that runs through Dawlish. The wall between the sea and the railway line breached; a section of the wall washed away, as did 80 metres of track, platforms at Dawlish railway station and sections of the coastal path.

The seawall at Dawlish, Devon collapsed after heavy storms, demolishing part of the railway line. The South West of England and South Wales have taken the brunt of the latest storms, which have left thousands of homes without power, and the Met Office has warned that there is more to come.

Storms like the one that cut the rail link at Dawlish in 2014 could become an annual event over the next 100 years. Network Rail has a programme of improvements to protect the line between Exeter and Newton Abbot to improve resilience over the next century.

The railway line in Dawlish is hanging in mid-air, as Jon Kay reports Parts of Britain have been hit by a storm which destroyed a stretch of railway, forced people from their homes and left thousands without power. A section of the sea wall in Dawlish, Devon, collapsed and left the railway to Cornwall suspended in mid-air.