ENGINEERS working on the project to protect the coastal railway line at Dawlish have been working around the clock over the festive season.

Teams of staff have completed their Christmas programme of work at both Dawlish station and Parson’s Tunnel.

Sections of the new rockfall shelter at the north portal of Parson’s Tunnel, to protect the line between Dawlish and Holcombe from falling rocks, have been lifted into place.

That part of the project is due to be completed in the autumn. 

A special gantry crane was used to lift in pre-cast sections of the 104m structure.

Foundations for the new accessible footbridge with lifts at the station have also been installed, with work taking place on Christmas Day, and this is due to open in the summer. 

Some of the work involved locations which are close to the track so can only be carried out safely while trains are not running. 

A spokesman for the contractors said: ‘Thanks to everyone for your patience while we worked around the clock.

‘We are sorry for any disturbance.’

The South West Rail Resilience Programme was set up by Network Rail to improve the vulnerable coastal line between Dawlish and Holcombe following the devastating storms of 2014 which ripped the railway in two and led to its closure for eight weeks.