Passengers in the South West to benefit from more reliable railway as cliff resilience milestone is completed

(Press release NetworkRail:) Resilience work on the Devon cliffs between Dawlish and Holcombe to help protect the iconic coastal railway line has now been successfully completed.

Work on the cliff resilience scheme began in July 2023 and saw Network Rail install a series of protection measures to catch any loose material and stop it from falling onto the railway below. The £37m project, funded by the Department for Transport, is part of the South West Rail Resilience Programme to improve the reliability of the line between Exeter and Newton Abbot.

19,700 square metres of stainless steel netting was secured to the red cliffs above the railway in high-risk areas. Engineers reached the cliff face by abseiling down in a secure harness, where they then drilled more than 6,000 soil nails into the rocks at depths of 13 metres.

In an innovative move to deliver best value, the nails are part stainless and part galvanised steel. The galvanised parts of the nails were driven deeper into the cliff, so will be protected from corrosion.

To prepare for the start of work in the summer of 2023, Network Rail’s contractor BAM Nuttall had to remove the topsoil from the land above the cliffs and set up road networks to transport materials and machinery – all while making sure the ecology of the area was protected. Some of the cliffs are located within the Dawlish Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest, so special care had to be taken to protect the unique biodiversity of the area as well as the striking geological features of the cliffs.

In the spring of 2024, a worker found a tawny owl nesting in a recess in the cliff face, protectively guarding two eggs. Work in the immediate vicinity of the nest was stopped to protect the bird and a camera was set up to monitor the eggs. Two owlets were subsequently spotted with their mother and work began again once the owls had successfully flown the nest.

Alina Wolfe-Murray, Network Rail’s sponsor, said: ‘We’re pleased to have completed another milestone in the South West Rail Resilience Programme, which was set up following the storm of 2014 to help protect the railway between Dawlish and Teignmouth from the effects of extreme weather. It follows on from the construction of the new sea wall at Dawlish and the rockfall shelter just north of Parson’s Tunnel, which was completed last year. Care was taken to ensure that local wildlife was protected, including the owl family, and our resilience features still allow for people to appreciate the unique red cliffs, which are recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Alongside the stainless-steel netting, we have also used biodegradable coir matting, which allows for the regrowth of vegetation. This work, alongside the rockfall shelter and the Dawlish sea wall, will help to protect this vital line for generations to come.’

Yan Sayles, senior project manager at BAM said: ‘BAM has a long and proud history of helping to preserve and protect the railway in Dawlish, so we’re delighted to bring another phase of this work to a close. Unfortunately, climate change is a clear and present threat to coastal communities across the UK, so we take a lot of pride in helping to improve the resilience of our infrastructure and particularly our railways. We’d like to thank the local community once again for the patience and cooperation while we carried our work.’

Rail Minister Lord Hendy said: ‘Everyone should have peace of mind knowing they can travel no matter the weather, and this important project helps provide that by giving long-term resilience for this vital stretch of railway. Ten years since the Dawlish storm severed the South West from the rest of the network, significant Government investment has ensured the line is now better safeguarded against extreme conditions, boosting the region’s connectivity and economy for years to come.’

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