Rail Services Disrupted as Sinkhole Repair Underway at Dawlish

Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) are working together to maintain travel options while a large sinkhole near the railway at Dawlish is repaired.

The hole, measuring approximately 8 metres by 3.5 metres, formed following Storm Ingrid and affects the line between Dawlish and Teignmouth.

To carry out the repairs, the railway will be closed between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot from 7:00pm on Wednesday 28 January until 7:00am on Thursday 29 January. Trains will continue to run between London and Exeter St Davids and between Newton Abbot and Penzance, while replacement buses will operate between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids, and Plymouth and Tiverton Parkway.

The Night Riviera Sleeper service will not run in either direction between Paddington and Penzance on Wednesday evening but will resume on Thursday morning. Passengers are advised to travel earlier on Wednesday or later on Thursday, as tickets will remain valid. Limited replacement buses will be available, but high demand is expected. Online journey planners are being updated to reflect changes, and passengers should check before travelling.

Network Rail engineers will work through the night, moving around 200 tonnes of spoil to fill the sinkhole. For safety, the footpath between Teignmouth and Smugglers’ Lane will also be closed from Wednesday evening and is expected to reopen early next week.

Marcus Jones, Network Rail route director, said:"Storm Ingrid caused a sinkhole near the railway that requires urgent repair. To safely move heavy equipment and carry out this work, the line will need to close on Wednesday evening for 12 hours. We appreciate the patience of passengers and local residents as we complete these essential repairs."

He added:"The footpath between Teignmouth and Smugglers’ Lane will also be closed until early next week for safety. We will reopen it as soon as it is safe."

Mark Hopwood, GWR managing director, said:"This section of track linking Devon and Cornwall is vital for safe and reliable services. We need to complete this repair as soon as possible, which will unfortunately affect a small number of journeys. We advise passengers to travel by 7:00pm on Wednesday between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot. We plan to reopen the line early on Thursday morning, though further bad weather may affect progress. Passenger and staff safety is always our top priority."