Restoration of rail services through Dawlish in Devon will not now be complete until mid April, Network Rail has confirmed. It says that operatives are working day and night to rebuild foundations beneath the rail line, washed away by fierce storms in early February.

Early estimates suggested that the Dawlish line would reopen within six weeks. But further storms on 14 February caused more extensive damage to the sea wall and increased the scope of the repairs.

Concrete foundations have since been installed in two places and repairs to the nearby station platform continue. Eighteen shipping containers have been placed beside the damaged sea wall to act as a temporary breakwater and 50% of a concrete pour to reinstate the sea wall has been completed.

“We are confident that we will have the railway back by mid April and if we can, we will beat that date,” said Network Rail Western region’s managing director Patrick Hallgate. “We are conscious of the importance of this railway to the South West, its economy and the people of Dawlish.”

Trains from London currently terminate at Exeter and a replacement bus service operates the onward leg to Newton Abbot, before rail services continue down to Penzance.

Also this week Network Rail awarded £300M worth of framework agreements covering civil examinations and assessments for the next five year Control Period.

Amey will carry out civil examinations across the entire rail network, with the exception of the London North Western route which will use in house teams.

In terms of civil assessments, five frameworks have been agreed for each of Network Rail’s routes. They are:

• Anglia: Aecom and Amey
• Kent: Amey
• London North Eastern & East Midlands: Aecom and Amey
• London North Western: Aecom, SKM and Opus
• Scotland: Aecom
• Sussex, Wales, Wessex & Western: WSP

(Photo: Network Rail)

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