WEST Devon Borough Council is calling on the Government to reinstate the railway link from Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock as an alternative main line route to the storm-hit Dawlish line.

The plea to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin was led by Okehampton and County Councillor Kevin Ball, who called on the council for its support during a meeting last week.

Cllr Ball said that reinstating the old Southern Railway line which linked Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock as an alternative route would bring a new resilience to the South West's transport links.

The line was originally closed under the Beeching cuts of the 1960s.

Ministers and Network Rail are considering plans to bypass the storm-smashed stretch of track that fell into the sea at Dawlish last month.

One of the options on the table is understood to be bringing back the former Southern Railway line.

There are four other options suggested by Network Rail, including the creation of a new line connecting existing freight lines from Alphington and Heathfield, or three options between Newton Abbot and Exeter via Teignmouth. These three options would require new tunnels.

Trains can already run to Meldon on a freight line and there are existing plans to re-open the stretch of line connecting Tavistock to Bere Alston where a train line runs in to Plymouth.

The council's deputy leader Cllr Bob Baldwin said that the reinstatement was a 'sensible way forward.'

He said: 'We need to plant a stake in the ground that this route would be a safe alternative.'

West Devon councillors agreed to support a motion which said: 'Because of the continuous problems and following the destruction and closure of the railway line at Dawlish by the recent winter storms, West Devon Borough Council calls on Her Majesty's Government to reinstate the line from Plymouth to Okehampton (via Tavistock and on to Exeter) as an alternative main line route to the Dawlish line.'

Cllr Kevin Ball said: 'This proposed alternative route should not be a replacement but will enable the rail link to remain open into the South West even if the sea wall is damaged again, which unfortunately, is likely.

'The re-introduction of the line will also bring a much needed boost to business and tourism within West Devon and beyond our borders.

'This will bring new visitors and customers to our area and to our businesses which will benefit many within our borough.'

The council will now write a letter to the Transport Secretary, and Devon MPs.

The letter will also be sent to other councils in the county.