Dawlish sea wall reopens after £80 million facelift to protect vital railway line

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A total of £80 million has been spent to make the Dawlish sea wall safe during extreme weather and provide the public with an accessible footpath. 

Money has been spent on the sea wall to protect the vital rail link to the south west. The wall is now eight metres high, 2.5 metres taller than the previous one. 

More than 400 metres of new promenade and fully accessible public areas opened to the public on Thursday 25 May. 

The promenade stretches between Coastguards and Colonnade breakwaters, and is linked to the first section at Marine Parade by a new footbridge.

This all runs parallel to the railway line. 

This work means members of the public can walk all the way from Boat Cove to Coastguards footbridge, and then join the original sea wall. 

Now the beach between Colonnade and Coastguards breakwaters is back open too, following 2.5 years of work. 

The railway is now in a much better position to cope with extreme weather as previously waves could flood the track to cause closures and delays. 

Ewen Morrison, Network Rail senior programme manager, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be opening this new section of sea wall and would like to wholeheartedly thank the community of Dawlish for their patience and support while the construction took place close to their homes and businesses over two-and-a-half years.

"The project is vital not just for Dawlish but for the whole of the south west peninsula as the railway connects communities in 50 towns and cities with the rest of the UK.

"The railway is now better protected and we hope the new wall, promenade and footbridge will be used and enjoyed by generations to come.”

Anne Marie Morris, MP for Newton Abbot, said: "The new wall, the promenade, rockfall shelter and the footbridge provide the additional resilience this essential piece of infrastructure needs to ensure the long-term viability of the line."