The railway line along the sea wall at Dawlish is one of the most famous and beautiful stretches of the railway network in Britain. In February 2014 it made headline news when storms battered Britain and a section of the wall and line collapsed into the sea. A team of engineers worked against the clock to repair the wall and the line but it was not reopened to passengers until nearly two months later. The impact of the closures on the South West was huge and reignited the debate about building an alternative route route inland.
In this book, author Colin Marsden, who has an unrivalled archive of historical material on the line, presents the history of the line from Exeter to Newton Abbot, concentrating on the scenic section between Starcross and Bishopsteignton, with previously unpublished photographs and accompanying text. The final section of the book is devoted to the closure, rebuilding and triumphant reopening, as well as an analysis of the alternative routes proposed and why ultimately they are unlikely to be built.
The Dawlish Sea Wall has been a popular site for railway enthusiasts and photographers for many generations and this new book brings a fresh new look to this particularly scenic part of Britain’s railway network.
