STORM-BASHED Dawlish suffered damage to a 40ft section of its railway line last night, Network Rail has confirmed.

Close inspection of the closed line revealed that fencing and coping stones between the resort and Dawlish Warren was in need of repair with some dislodged sections found on the track together with displaced ballast.

No similar ill effects were identified on the railway itself or the regularly assaulted sea wall.

A Network Rail spokesman said: 'The affected section needs to be made safe and Herras temporary fencing put in place.

'A substantial amount of ballast has been washed across the track along a 150m length of railway. Our engineers are now working to remove and replace the ballast.'

Dawlish station suffered minor damage. Wooden panels and handrails were washed onto the track and a small section of the platform damaged. Network Rail is working to make the damage safe, clear up the station and cordon off unsafe areas in advance of the station reopening.

Mark Langman, Network Rail Western route managing director, said: 'Team Orange will be working round-the-clock to make the railway safe so that it can reopen.

'There will be no services on this line today and we will issue an update later today confirming when we expect to reopen this section of the railway.'

He expected reopening of the line would happen 'in the next 24-36 hours.'