Dawlish Railway Line Under Threat

The Railway line through Dawlish is one of the most picturesque in the Country, and also the most expensive stretch of line to maintain. This line was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel who changed the face of Britain with his viaducts, bridges and railway lines . It has been managed by various rail companies over the years, Great Western, London South West the line is now maintained by Network Rail who say it is in a better condition than it has been for years.

If the railway line is lost, the whole spit (promontory) at Dawlish Warren would be changed. If the experts are to be believed the South West is gradually subsiding and the sea is rising 2 milimetres per year. At present there are no plans to reroute this line inland.

Another concern we have in Dawlish is the termination of South West Trains Services West of Exeter. There is currently a regular two hourly weekday service (four per day)beyond Exeter from Waterloo/Salisbury to either Paignton or Plymouth.This service is hugely popular especially during the holiday season.

The reason being this is the only reasonable rail route between the South West and the South Coast via Salisbury and the route to and from London via the Andover, Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction 'catchment' areas benefiting millions.

Users, particularly the elderly, disabled,and families do appreciate this through service who are often apprehensive about the uncertainty of changing trains and possibly platforms

Terminating this service could have a devastating effect on the holiday trade in the South West.

We know of no comprehensive user survey nor impact assessment that has been conducted prior to this decision.