Construction of a larger protective wall is expected to take nine months to complete, and is being carried out by contractor BAM Nuttall after it was awarded a £30M contract by Network Rail.

This important milestone follows five years of detailed studies, designs and joint working between marine, coastal and railway engineering experts.

“We are pleased to have started work on delivering this vital upgrade that will protect the rail artery to the south west for the next 100 years,” said Network Rail’s senior programme manager on the project David Lovell.

“Our plans have been drawn up by world leading engineers and it will provide greater protection to the railway and town from rising sea levels and extreme weather.”

Once complete, the new sea wall will be 2.5m higher than the existing structure, making it 7.5m in total. It will feature a curved edge to deflect waves as well as a wider promenade.

Newton Abbot MP Anne Marie Morris commented: “I am glad to see that the first steps to deliver the South West Rail Resilience Programme – which is so crucial for our local economy – are getting under way at Dawlish.

“Network Rail has listened to residents during its consultation and amended the design to address concerns as much as possible without compromising the effectiveness of the sea defence.”

The Peninsula Rail Task Force emphasises that the next priority for Network Rail and the Government must be to deliver plans and funding for resilience works from Parsons Tunnel to Teignmouth further along the coast.

(Photograph: Network Rail)