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Storm-damaged English rail line to reopen
Oops! Not quite 13 miles - Network Rail’s site is well worth a look. It says 100 metres…
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/timetables-and-travel/storm-damage/dawlish/
Even if the line through Dawlish was ill conceived, the train-watching there is splendid. It’s simply a beautiful place to spend an afternoon watching or photographing trains. American railfans: go to Dawlish! You won’t be disappointed.
Even if the line through Dawlish was ill conceived, the train-watching there is splendid. It’s simply a beautiful place to spend an afternoon watching or photographing trains. American railfans: go to Dawlish! You won’t be disappointed.
Even if the line through Dawlish was ill conceived, the train-watching there is splendid. It’s simply a beautiful place to spend an afternoon watching or photographing trains. American railfans: go to Dawlish! You won’t be disappointed.
The actual area of damage extends from Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth, around 4 miles and includes damage to the sea wall and cliff slides in addition to the main 100 metre breach just east of Dawlish station. Very good photographic coverage of the storm in action, the resulting damage and subsequent repairs can be found at:
http://www.dawlishtrains.com/dawlish-sea-wall-damage.html
Reopening the old LSWR route is not the best option as it bypasses all the major towns of South Devon - which is largely why it closed in the first place - and would require replacement of a very large viaduct.
Network Rail, the publicly owned infrastructure company has done a great job in restoring the line in some bad conditions. The line was part of the GWR route designed by Brunel, who got the route badly wrong. It has been damaged many times since it opened and this year was one of the worst. There was an alternative route (L&SWR later Southern Railway) but this was closed by the infamous Dr Beeching, but the restitution of this route is being investigated
I’m glad to read that this line will reopen. I guess that you read about our similar weather problems with our rails in 2012. It took us several months to get our trains back up and running. So, good luck from this side of the pond.
Regarding comments from Mr. Walker of UK, is the 7 mile missing ‘gap’-Meldon Quarry to Tavistock/Bere Alston-on the old LSWR really that big a deal to restore (Meldon viauct still stands as a tourist railway and bike path)? While 20/20 hindsight is easy to espouse, is not the quick decision back in 1966 to shut down the LSWR route a prime example of gross poor judgement by British Rail and the UK Gov’t? How many pictures have been shown in the media over the years of waves crashing over the seawall and tracks and Dawlish Warren-this weak segment of trackage resulting in periodic closure of all UK passenger rail service to the English southwest (unless one goes via Bristol-very out of the way). [Of course we Americans have no better record at providing for transportation infrastructure either.]