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Network Rail considers Dawlish alternative route Network Rail chooses Dawlish alternative route
(about 2 hours later)
A possible alternative railway route to the storm-stricken Dawlish line has been identified by senior rail planners, BBC News can reveal. Network Rail has chosen an alternative railway route to the storm-stricken Dawlish line, BBC News can reveal.
The route would head from Okehampton to Plymouth via Tavistock and go through parts of the Dartmoor National Park.The route would head from Okehampton to Plymouth via Tavistock and go through parts of the Dartmoor National Park.
Network Rail is considering an inland route as a back-up to the Dawlish line, which was badly damaged by storms last week. Network Rail has been considering an inland route as a back-up to the Dawlish line, which was badly damaged by storms last week.
The plans are thought to be at a very early stage. Three alternatives have been discussed locally over the years, but Network Rail is only considering one option.
Last year, Network Rail conducted an outline study and concluded it would cost hundreds of millions of pounds to open the secondary route.Last year, Network Rail conducted an outline study and concluded it would cost hundreds of millions of pounds to open the secondary route.
Three alternatives have been discussed locally over the years, two of them in south Devon including the Teign Valley route, via Christow and Heathfield, and the so-called Dawlish Avoiding Line, which was promoted in the 1930s but was never built. Of the three alternatives, two of them are in south Devon including the Teign Valley route, via Christow and Heathfield, and the so-called Dawlish Avoiding Line, which was promoted in the 1930s but was never built.
The route would have passed inland behind Teignmouth and Dawlish rather than along the coast like the current line.The route would have passed inland behind Teignmouth and Dawlish rather than along the coast like the current line.
However, Network Rail is only considering the Okehampton-Tavistock-Plymouth route as a likely candidate.However, Network Rail is only considering the Okehampton-Tavistock-Plymouth route as a likely candidate.
Trains can already run to Meldon, west of Okehampton, on a freight line and there are currently plans to reopen a stretch of line connecting Tavistock southwards to Bere Alston.Trains can already run to Meldon, west of Okehampton, on a freight line and there are currently plans to reopen a stretch of line connecting Tavistock southwards to Bere Alston.
The route Network Rail is now openly discussing is the stretch between Meldon and Tavistock.The route Network Rail is now openly discussing is the stretch between Meldon and Tavistock.
Bill Hitchins, chairman of Dartmoor National Park Authority, said: "We have not seen any kind of proposal to discuss, much less vote on. Patrick Hallgate of Network Rail said at Dawlish: "It's hundreds of millions of pounds to do so and it's on land that has already been built on in terms of the old railway alignment.
"It's also on land that we don't currently own. So there are all sorts of long-term strategies that would be required to make that happen.
"For me at the moment it is about getting this line open as quickly as possible."
Bill Hitchins, chairman of Dartmoor National Park Authority, said: "We have not seen any kind of proposal to discuss, much less vote on.
"I'm sure we would be only too pleased to be involved in any discussions."I'm sure we would be only too pleased to be involved in any discussions.
"Personally, I have always felt that it (the line) should not have been closed, and it should not have been developed in the way it has been developed.""Personally, I have always felt that it (the line) should not have been closed, and it should not have been developed in the way it has been developed."
Network Rail is advising passengers that no trains are running between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot because of the damage to the track at Dawlish.
The line between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot is not expected to reopen until mid April at the earliest and in the meantime buses are replacing trains.
Flooding in the Bridgwater and Taunton areas means that a limited number of trains are able to run between Bridgwater and Taunton.
CrossCountry have buses replacing trains non-stop between Bristol Parkway and Plymouth. Passengers requiring interim stops can travel on the First Great Western buses.