George Eustice, Member of Parliament for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle has today welcomed the news that the first section of the new sea wall at Dawlish has been completed.
The vital stretch of railway which connects Devon and Cornwall with the rest of the country is now better protected from rising sea levels and extreme weather as Network Rail has built the first section of the new sea wall in Dawlish. It means the beach and promenade is now open (28 July) with Network Rail adding finishing touches to the surface of the footpath, before returning later in the year to finish fencing, lighting and seating after delays caused by coronavirus.
The new bigger sea wall runs for 360 metres along Marine Parade, giving the iconic stretch of railway line immediate greater resilience against waves that flood the track, leading to potential closures and delays.
George commented, "As a regular user of the train to travel to and from the constituency, I know just how vital the Dawlish link is for visitors and businesses to Cornwall. It is pleasing to hear that progress has been made on the sea wall, and I hope that this will help improve the resilience of the route and the project completed in the months to come."
Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said, “It is fantastic to see this vital project making so much progress despite the challenges it has faced due to Covid-19, and this is testament to the hard work and dedication of all the teams involved. We are committed to improving the resilience of this route, which is crucial for connecting communities across the south west and boosting economic growth in the region. I look forward to seeing this important work completed later this year.”
