West of England cut off as Dawlish floods

摘要

The railway west of Exeter has been cut off after severe storms caused the line to wash away at Dawlish on February 4. Initial estimates that the line would reopen on March 18 looked unlikely as further bad weather hampered repair efforts. An 80-metre section of track was left suspended in the air when the trackbed below it was washed away. Neighbouring houses were also damaged. The line is the only route to Cornwall following the 1968 closure of an alternative route via Okehampton. There are now calls to re-lay this line - the missing link from Bere Alston to Meldon is about 20 miles and the majority of the trackbed is intact. Local industry bodies claim that the West Country is losing 'up to £140m' for every week the railway is out of action.