Emergency Rail Closure Announced After Sinkhole Discovered Near Dawlish

Great Western Railway and Network Rail have set out plans to maintain passenger connectivity while urgent repairs are carried out to a sinkhole that has formed close to the railway at Dawlish.

The damage was discovered in the aftermath of Storm Ingrid, with a sinkhole measuring approximately 8 metres by 3.5 metres opening up near the line between Dawlish and Teignmouth. Engineers say the issue requires prompt attention to ensure the continued safe operation of trains through the area.

To allow the repair work to be completed, the railway will be closed between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot from 19:00 on Wednesday 28 January until 07:00 on Thursday 29 January. During this period, trains will continue to operate between London and Exeter St Davids, and between Newton Abbot and Penzance. Rail replacement buses will run between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot, as well as between Plymouth and Tiverton Parkway.

The Night Riviera Sleeper will not operate in either direction between Paddington and Penzance on Wednesday evening, but is scheduled to resume on Thursday 29 January.

Passengers are being advised to travel earlier on Wednesday 28 January or later on Thursday 29 January, when their tickets will remain valid. A limited replacement bus service will be in place, though customers are warned these services are expected to be extremely busy. Journey planners are being updated and passengers are urged to check their travel arrangements before setting off.

Network Rail engineers will be working through the night to stabilise the area, using around 200 tonnes of spoil to fill the sinkhole. For safety reasons, the footpath between Teignmouth and Smuggler’s Lane will also be closed from Wednesday evening and is expected to reopen early next week once the work has been completed.

GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said:

"To continue to be able to provide safe and reliable services on this really important section of track linking Devon and Cornwall, we need to make this repair as soon as possible. To do so will unfortunately impact a small number of journeys, and we are working to keep this to a minimum. Please do however aim to complete your travel by 1900 on Wednesday eve between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot. We aim to have the line reopen early on Thursday morning though further inclement weather is forecast over the coming days and as ever the safety of our customers and colleagues is always our top priority.”

Network Rail route director Marcus Jones added:

“Extreme weather during Storm Ingrid left a sinkhole near the railway that requires repair as soon as possible. Our teams need to close the railway on Wednesday evening for 12 hours to allow us to safely move heavy equipment to the area and start working to fix this issue. We’re very grateful to passengers and local residents for their patience while we complete these essential repairs. To ensure this work can be completed safely, the footpath between Teignmouth and Smuggler’s Lane will also be closed from the evening of Wednesday 28 January until early next week. We’re working as quickly as we can and will reopen the path as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

Image: Great Western Railway