CONTRACTORS working on the ongoing project to protect the railway line at Dawlish reached a major milestone, almost nine years to the day the huge storm swept the line away.

The team working for Network Rail announced they had lifted the final pre-cast concrete sections of the perimeter wall of the new stilling basin in place just a few weeks ago.

The news came as the town marked nine years since the February 2014 storm ripped through the line, cutting off the entire south west by rail. 

Since then, the South West Rail Resilience programme, costing millions of pounds, has been working to bolster Brunel’s original line.

The latest work is progressing the link bridge and the area around the stilling basin. 

Headway is also being made with laying the granite paving and installing the ducting for the lighting in Colonnade underpass.

The progress means the excavators which were used for construction work have been removed from the beach by barge. 

Work is continuing on the surfaces around the basin and the promenade and link bridge, including pouring concrete and laying and grouting paving. 

All work is weather dependent but it is hoped this phase in the project will be completed soon.

Contractors Bam Nuttall thanked residents and visitors for their patience.

Following the devastating storms of 2014, which saw the railway damaged beyond use for eight weeks, Network Rail started work on plans to prevent this from happening again by launching the South West Rail Resilience Programme.

The exposed mainline railway between Dawlish and Teignmouth is the only rail link into the south west but has been vulnerable to storms and erosion.