DAWLISH railway line will have to close overnight to allow reprice of a large sink hole which appeared after Storm Ingrid. The large hole, measuring 8m by 3.5m appeared near the line act Sprey Point between Dawlish and Teignmouth.
Read more...https://www.middevonadvertiser.co.uk/news/sink-hole-forces-overnight-closure-of-rail-line-873627
In my opinion, this is what 30 years of private operation of the of the South West railway line franchise has caused through lack of maintenance, putting profit before service/maintenance.
South Western Railway (SWR) is no longer owned by private companies. As of 25 May 2025, SWR services were transferred into public ownership under the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO), becoming the first rail franchise to be re-nationalised under the Labour government.
While SWR was not consistently profitable in its later years, it contributed meaningfully to FirstGroup’s earnings during more stable periods. The parent company leveraged these returns to reward shareholders through dividends and buybacks, even as the franchise increasingly relied on public subsidies before its return to public ownership, it has been reported.
Just a walk along the beach between Dawlish and the Warren will show you how poorly maintained the sea wall is, which must be a reflection of many area's of sea wall that are there to protect the line from damage.
Please 