MP Anne Marie Morris has vowed to keep up the pressure on the Government to ensure funding for the final phase of the south Devon coastal rail line goes ahead.

She is pressing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to commit to the last link of the South West Rail Resilience programme which has been working for years to protect the vulnerable coastal stretch between Dawlish and Teignmouth for the future.

Potentially at risk are the final two phases of the scheme, to stabilise the sheer rock faces either side of Parson’s Tunnel and make this area safe from rock falls.

Ms Morris explained that while much of the work has been done, parts of the cliff can only be worked on when the line is closed to trains.

She said possible delays over this stretch could mean the funding is lost.

She explained: ‘Work is going on with Great Western Railway to find an appropriate time.

‘However the line closure requires replacement bus services and at the time when it could be done in March next year, there is a lot of demand for buses to provide the replacement.

‘It is a problem which has to be resolved because money for this cannot be carried over and needs to be spent in this spending period.

‘A lot of work is being done to find a way out of this but the Government has to step in. It is so important, we ought to be able to fix this.’

Phase five is the most complicated and expensive part of the project.

Originally it was going to cost £400 million but efforts to find a cheaper solution has brought the bill down to about £70million- part of the cost is drainage.

To ensure the rocks are stable, the water content has to be monitored and drained if levels become too high.

But the Government has imposed a moratorium on rail project spending other than the controversial HS2.

Ms Morris explained: ‘The funding works in five year chunks and after five years, projects are looked at again but now, no projects can be put in.

‘I will keep the pressure up, we absolutely must and this line is only as secure as its weakest link and we need to get this line completed.’

Discussions are ongoing, Ms Morris said.

Mr Sunak stressed he was committed to ‘improving the resilience of this iconic stretch of railway’ .But Ms Morris said he did not answer questions about the funding and what will happen if money is not authorised for the final phase.

She said: ‘The Government wants to know what its ongoing commitment is but it can’t be left half done.’

The long-running programme began following the devastating storms of 2014 which ripped the line away in Dawlish, cutting off the south west by rail entirely for two months.

The railway is a vital artery, which connects communities, businesses and visitors in 50 towns and cities in the South West with the rest of the UK.