Devon Railway at Risk Without Urgent Funding for Final Phase

The Devon Railway remains dangerously exposed to severe weather damage, and MPs are calling on the government to fund critical upgrades before another storm severs the southwest rail link. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

MPs used a recent HS2 debate to highlight the lack of investment in the southwest, especially the vulnerable coastal section at Dawlish. That stretch was destroyed in 2014, cutting Cornwall and parts of Devon off for weeks.

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Although engineers have strengthened the sea wall and reopened the line, later stages of the project—particularly cliff stabilization—still remain unfinished. The government has not committed to final-phase funding.

Devon Railway Still Exposed to Severe Storm Threats

Torbay MP Steve Darling warned that the Devon Railway is just one serious storm away from being cut off again. He stressed that phase five of the rail resilience plan is urgently needed.

Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley also pressed Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, saying HS2 has done little for the southwest while disrupting service at Old Oak Common in London.

He demanded immediate funding for the final stretch of resilience work, which would protect both residents and businesses across Devon and Cornwall.

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Secretary Alexander did not respond directly in Parliament but promised written answers. Wrigley later received a reply from the Department for Transport, which offered only vague reassurances.

The department said it was reviewing the national portfolio of rail improvements and would include decisions in a future infrastructure update. But no timeline or funding pledge was offered.

MPs argue that delaying this project places the region at risk. As storms grow stronger and infrastructure ages, protecting this critical line must become a national priority—not just a local issue.

Source: www.devonlive.com

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