The £37million resilience project on the Devon cliffs between Dawlish and Holcombe is now complete.

Funded by the Department for Transport, the project is part of the South West Rail Resilience Programme, aimed at improving the reliability of the vital rail connection between Exeter and Newton Abbot.

Since work began in July 2023, Network Rail has installed a range of protective measures to prevent loose material from falling onto the railway. These include 19,700 square metres of stainless steel netting secured to high-risk sections of the red cliffs above the line.


Engineers accessed the cliff face by abseiling down in harnesses and drilled over 6,000 soil nails into the rock at depths of up to 13 metres. An innovative approach was adopted to ensure cost efficiency and longevity, using soil nails made of both stainless and galvanised steel. The galvanised sections, driven deeper into the cliff, are designed to resist corrosion.

This resilience work marks a significant milestone in protecting the coastal railway and ensuring its long-term reliability against the challenges posed by the region’s natural environment.

To prepare for the start of work in the summer of 2023, Network Rail's contractor BAM Nuttall had to remove the topsoil from the land above the cliffs and set up road networks to transport materials and machinery – all while making sure the ecology of the area was protected. Some of the cliffs are located within the Dawlish Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest, so special care had to be taken to protect the unique biodiversity of the area as well as the striking geological features of the cliffs.