THE Prime Minister David Cameron has said that the Okehampton rail line is the 'most resilient' alternative to the vulnerable coastal route along Dawlish writes Tom French.

The Government and Network Rail have been considering the possibility of alternative inland rail routes to provide the transport network with greater resilience since the storms at Dawlish that ravaged the coastal line and left huge parts of the region cut off from the rest of the country in early 2014.

During a recent visit to Plymouth, Chancellor George Osborne laid out a six-point plan for long term economic regeneration for the South West. Mr Osborne said he would develop a comprehensive rail strategy by setting up a South West Peninsula Rail Task Force, which would look at the potential for re-opening the rail route via Okehampton and Tavistock.

During an interview with the BBC, Mr Cameron said: 'We're not going to know that [any decision on the line's future] for some months because that is a very complicated piece of work that has to be done.

'Everybody knows that it is expensive, these inland lines, but they are worth looking at. Although we've rebuilt Dawlish and although we can take some steps to improve its resilience, it is really worth a long, hard look at whether there is an inland option.

'These things do cost money but if you want a resilient railway line you'll have to spend some money. The question is do any of these options really stack up?

'Does the Okehampton line work? We want to have a proper look at that. We are a wealthy country that is making long-term plans about investment in road and rail. We should be prepared to look at projects like this.

'That [Okehampton] is the one that people say could make the most resilient line. But we've obviously got to look at resilience, we've got to look at value for money, we've got to look at what is practical.

'We've got to look at all those things before making a final decision.'

County member for Okehampton Rural Division Kevin Ball was cautious over Mr Cameron's comments, but was encouraged that the Prime Minister was discussing the line publically.

He said: 'A lot of hard work has gone in from all angles to raise the importance of bringing the line back – from a county level to Destination Okehampton locally and other town and parish councils in a variety of places across the region.

'The fact that the Prime Minister has spoken publicly about the line and mentioned Okehampton directly has got to be positive and shows that the message coming from the area has been heard at the top.

'Until a concrete decision is made I am cautious, but it is positive to hear Mr Cameron discuss the issue.'