13.02.20
Network Rail install new Dawlish sea wall
Network Rail’s plan to protect the vital rail line to the south west from rising sea levels and extreme weather has taken a big step forward despite challenging storm conditions.
A large sea wall is being installed in Dawlish, Devon to defend the costal railway line and the iconic footpath that runs alongside it, from the sea and on Sunday (Feb 9th) the work reached a significant milestone as the first new panels, which are part of the main structure for the wall, were put in place despite Storm Ciara.
The new sea wall is part of numerous measures along the coast to protect the only railway line that connects 50 towns and cities in Devon and Cornwall with the rest of the country.
In total, over 100 panels will be installed at Dawlish over the coming weeks and residents, visitors and rail passengers can start to see how the structure will look.
Once the construction is finished, Network Rail will turn their attention to creating a wider, safer promenade which retains the views of the coast, a feature that the area is famous for.
When the installation and back-fill of the panels is complete, track drainage will be put it in, before construction staff then turn their focus to the promenade, where lighting, seating and surfacing will be carried out. All work is planned to be completed before the busy summer season.
Senior Programme Manager for the South West Rail Resilience Programme, David Lovell said: “Despite challenging conditions, our team managed to get the first pre-cast wall panels in place last weekend. This is an important landmark in the Dawlish sea wall project, taking us one step further to protecting this iconic section of railway and the coastal footpath for generations to come.
Image: Network Rail