Renewed calls have been made for improvements to rail links to the South West after storm damage forced the closure of the main line to the region.

Storm Ingrid forced the temporary closure of the London to Plymouth line on Friday night (January 23) as a precaution in response to forecast high winds and rain combined with high tides.

This proved the right move when the sea wall alongside the track at Dawlish was breached by huge waves which engulfed the line and threw tonnes of concrete and shingle over the sea defences. Rail workers toiled for long hours in stormy conditions to clear the debris to allow the line to reopen last night (Sunday).

The Dawlish line is particularly vulnerable to storm damage and to rail services being disrupted by high waves which throw single against carriages, sometimes breaking windows and alarming passengers.

There have long been demands for the Dawlish line to be made more resilient because it is such a strategically vital transport link for the whole of the region.

Rail campaigners, among them TavyRail, have also asked for a second line to be reinstated round northern Dartmoor as a more reliable route than the coastal line.

This would mean linking up Okehampton with Plymouth, via Bere Alston.

Meanwhile Rebecca Smith, MP for South West Devon, said the latest storm damage reinforced the call for stronger defences at Dawlish.

“This is why I keep pressing the new government to finish the rail resilience works at Dawlish,” she said.

“They are happy to provide billions for the Northern Powerhouse Railway but won’t budge on securing the line at Dawlish. I was fortunate to travel home from Westminster safely, but I’m sure there are others less fortunate and on a rail replacement bus on Friday night.

“I will keep fighting for our fair share here in Devon. We can’t risk the line to Plymouth and Cornwall cut off again.”

Richard Searight, of TaviRail, said after the Dawlish disruption: “People have been saying for decades whenever this happens, the rail network in the South West needs an upgrade.

“The South West always misses out on any rail investment for upgrades. We need resilience to strengthen the rail network so that the South West doesn't get cut off from the rest of the country in the event of bad weather. Storms and tidal force will continue to batter the coastal line for ever more.”

He stressed the need for an inland railway: “We need two lines. Continue to strengthen the coastal line but also reinstate the moorland route north of Dartmoor via Exeter, Okehampton, Tavistock and Plymouth.

“By having two routes, it will strengthen the rail network so trains continue to run even when one line needs maintenance.

“Connect many smaller communities north of Dartmoor and provide a Devon ‘metro’ service for commuters across the whole county.”

Other benefits were offering a form of of transport for those who cannot drive, such as young, old and disabled and the provision of a greener mode of transport in a time when such targets are being set”