Weekend rail improvement works to take place in Devon this February

During every weekend in February, Network Rail will undertake track work as well as platform refurbishments at Dawlish station, affecting services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth.

The work to Dawlish comes eight years after the 2014 storm which severely damaged the railway. Since the start of construction on the first section of new, bigger sea wall in May 2019, the Dawlish coastline has undergone a mighty transformation.

The overall £80m Department for Transport-funded project which will also see an accessible station footbridge with lifts (to be completed in 2023) at Dawlish will protect the railway and town from rising sea levels and extreme weather for future generations.

As part of these ongoing works buses will replace trains between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth on all weekends with non-stop buses also running between Tiverton Parkway and Plymouth.

Other engineering works in Devon will also affect services in the area during this time. Including Exeter St Davids to Exeter Central on Sunday 6 February, Newton Abbot to Paignton on the weekend of 12/13 February, and Crediton to Barnstaple/Okehampton from Saturday 19 to Sunday 27 February.

GWR is asking those intending to travel during this period to plan ahead and check journey times before travelling.

Mark Chorley, GWR Regional Station Manager, West, said: 

“This work is important to ensure we can continue to maintain and improve reliability and we thank customers for their patience in advance.

“We have been working hard to provide as many replacement buses as we can to ensure people can continue to travel confidently and safely. However, we strongly recommend our customers check their times carefully before travelling to ensure a smooth journey with us.”

Services will continue to operate where the railway lines remain open, but train times will be amended to allow for easy connections onto replacement buses.

Long-distance services from London Paddington to the south west will operate as far as Exeter St Davids. Customers for stations in Plymouth or Cornwall should remember to change at Tiverton Parkway for direct replacement buses to Plymouth.

Phil Morton, Network Rail Project Manager, said:

“We would like to thank passengers and local residents in advance for their patience and understanding while we make these important upgrades.

“In particular, the improvements we are making to the platforms at Dawlish station will make it safer and easier for passengers to step onto and off trains.”

GWR has been providing rail services throughout the pandemic and has worked to ensure that these are as safe as possible. This includes increased cleaning regimes and the use of a virucidal spray; extra staff at key stations to offer help and guidance; and processes in place to help customers maintain a safe distance where possible, such as restricting the number of reservations available. 

Notes to editors  

Great Western Railway (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London.   

GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. 

GWR’s enhanced cleaning regime includes:  

• A 24% increase in cleaning hours every week since March 2020  
• Sanitising (fogging) of 1,120 vehicles every 4 weeks  
• Carrying out 2,150 on board surface tests (ATP) every four weeks, to ensure the effectiveness of our cleaning  
• 272 train cleaning processes reviewed, and many adapted  
• Hand sanitising facilities at key stations across its network.