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The railway line serving the south-west of England has been forced to close partially after storm damage caused a sea wall next to the tracks to collapse in two places. The line between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot, which is the only rail route to the region, was affected by the storm that battered the Devon coast on Saturday. Great Western Railway (GWR) has strongly advised passengers not to attempt travel on this affected stretch due to the significant damage near Dawlish.
The severe weather, identified as Storm Ingrid, brought waves as high as 12 feet crashing against the coastal defenses, prompting Network Rail to issue its highest level warning, a black alert. The collapse of the sea wall protecting the railway left debris scattered across approximately two miles of track, necessitating an extensive clean-up and safety inspection before services can resume. GWR confirmed that while about half of the debris was cleared on Saturday, the remainder still needs to be removed and for Network Rail to complete repairs and assess the line’s condition to determine if reopening is possible.
The storm’s impact was not limited to the rail infrastructure. In the nearby town of Teignmouth, part of the Victorian Grand Pier was washed away amid the pounding waves along the seafront. The owners described the destruction as a “dreadful night,” and the town’s mayor, Cate Williams, reflected on the pier’s long history, saying, “It has survived many weather conditions as well as world wars.” In other coastal communities such as Torpoint and Torcross, severe wave activity caused property damage, with residents reporting homes being battered by “full-on waves.”
Emergency services were also involved in rescue efforts, notably in Cornwall, where fire crews helped a delivery driver trapped in his van by around two feet of floodwater near Liskeard. Meanwhile, GWR remains cautiously hopeful that part of the Dawlish line might reopen to provide a limited rail service, but James Davis, a GWR spokesman, emphasized the uncertainty surrounding the situation, stating, “That is really dependent on what Network Rail find as they inspect that line.” He urged passengers to evaluate the necessity of their journeys, highlighting the limited replacement bus services that are unable to match the usual rail capacity
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