Dawlish Station to get new plastic footbridge

Dawlish Station is to get a new footbridge made of plastic. Credit: Network Rail

Work is due to start this month on the new footbridge for Dawlish railway station as part of a £1m improvement project.

The new bridge will be made from plastic, as the existing steel footbridge has been badly corroded by the harsh marine weather conditions. The timber decking has rotted and the protective paintwork has broken down.

Preparatory work will begin this month, and the existing bridge will be removed on 7 October, with the new footbridge being installed on 14 October. Completion for the whole scheme is expected to be at the end of November.

The work at Dawlish Station is part of a £1m improvement project. Credit: ITV Westcountry

The footbridge will be the second fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) footbridge to be installed on the Western Route. The first was at St Austell in Cornwall in October 2007.

The plastic components are being supplied by Pipex Ltd, the Plymouth-based structural composites manufacturer, replicating the style of the original steel bridge at the grade 2 listed station.

Network Rail’s engineers considered a number of alternatives, including a complete refurbishment and strengthening scheme using traditional materials, before deciding to completely replace the existing footbridge with a plastic FRP structure.

Not only will the manufactured mouldings replicate the existing style of the original steel bridge - even down to plastic rivet heads - but it will be better able to withstand the harsh marine environment along the Dawlish seafront.

The railway line at Dawlish is next to the sea wall. Credit: ITV Westcountry

When finished, the footbridge will be painted Admiral Gray in keeping with the rest of the station. The new structure will be lighter and easier to install and will require considerably less maintenance than the footbridge it replaces.

While the work is taking place, a footbridge diversion will be in operation from the town end of the railway station. Local residents, businesses and Dawlish Town Council will be kept informed of the plans throughout the work.

The footbridge diversion will use the subway and the ramp leading to platform 2. If there is severe weather, contingency plans will be put in place to lead passengers over the Barrow level crossing.