THE new chairman of the Peninsula Rail Task Force has said she is confident that Network Rail will continue to invest in rail infrastructure in the region.

Cllr Andrea Davis, Devon County Council’s Cabinet member for infrastructure, development and waste, told councillors last week that she will continue to push for improvements that will deliver a more resilient and better connected railway and one that has a better passenger experience for people living in Devon and the South West peninsula.

Work is already taking place to  re-route the Dawlish rail line around 30 yards out to sea from Smugglers to Teignmouth.

The causeway option would see the line rebuilt from the tunnel at Smugglers’ Lane, out on to the beach past Spray Point, and then would curve back in land towards Teignmouth. The option could cost up to £500-million but no funding has yet been pledged for the work or a timeframe put in place.

And proposals are being developed to reintroduce regular rail services between Okehampton and Exeter, reinstate the track from Meldon Quarry to Bere Alston via Tavistock and to introduce a new passing loop to enable early delivery of more frequent trains between Axminster and Exeter.

She said: ‘I am confident we will have a lot more investment in rail infrastructure and as the newly elected chairman of the Peninsula Rail Task Force, I will make it my business to ensure we do.’

Cllr Davis added: ‘It is encouraging news that Network Rail has committed to using £1.5-billion from selling its railway arches to bring much needed improvements to our railway.

‘Through my involvement with the Peninsula Rail Task Force, the council will continue to push for improvements that will deliver a more resilient and better connected railway with a better passenger experience for people living in Devon and the South West peninsula.

‘In recent months we have been seeking support for two principal issues: making the mainline between Dawlish and Teignmouth more resilient and pushing for involvement in the national 5G pilot so that trains between London and Penzance have better WiFi and mobile connectivity and passengers can be more productive on their journeys.

‘The response from the MPs has been overwhelmingly positive and they are keen to support with specific actions ahead of the upcoming budget.’

She added that already this year, Network Rail had spent £5.2-million on the priority resilience sites between Teignmouth and Dawlish, £1.1m on development work to increase speed to the Westcountry by improving the tracks between Totnes and Hemerdon as well as improvement in rolling stock and stations.

Cllr Yvonne Atkinson asked whether the council would seek the support of the Peninsula Rail Task Force and the OkeRail Group and the South West Rail All Party Parliamentary Group to lobby the Department for Transport to invest in services to Okehampton, the reinstatement of the track from Meldon Quarry to Bere Alston via Tavistock and re-doubling the track on the inadequate ‘West of England’ (Southern) main line from Exeter to Salisbury.

In response, Cllr Davis said: ‘Earlier in the year the rail minister Jo Johnson asked Great Western Railway to develop proposals to trial regular services between Exeter and Okehampton, which may be delivered through the franchise process.

‘Since then, to assist with this work, Devon County Council commissioned a feasibility study into a new railway station to the east of Okehampton and GWR are currently carrying out further investigations.

‘We are in the process of discussing with our local county councillors the best option for the Tavistock to Bere Alston line given the funding constraints and recognising the other significant government rail asks for the peninsula.’