Bam Nuttall has been awarded a contract to design a series of additional resilience measures along the coastal railway in south Devon. The project awarded by Network Rail will be between Dawlish and Holcombe. The scheme will use netting and catch fences to protect the track from falling debris from the cliffs.
The Department of Transport announced funding for the coastal railway scheme in south Devon in April 2022. This brought the total investment in the South West Rail Resilience Programme (SWRRP) to more than £150 million.
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Bam Nuttall has started ground investigation and site surveys along the 1km stretch to inform the scheme’s detailed design. It is also seeking land access agreements and consent for the work. Consequently, work is anticipated to begin in spring 2023 and take a year to complete.
The contract extension for the coastal railway in south Devon extends Bam Nuttall’s participation in the SWRRP programme. The civil engineering contractor is currently nearing completion of a new £80 million sea wall at Dawlish.
Project for the coastal railway in south Devon
“We are elated to have granted a contract to Bam Nuttall. They have already successfully completed the first segment of the new bigger sea wall at Dawlish for us. Thus, we are making tremendous progress with the second section,” said Network Rail senior program manager Ewen Morrison.
“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with them on the next phase of the South West Rail Resilience Programme. Consequently, it will better preserve the railway from storms and climate change for many years to come.”
“The contract selection criteria emphasized the significance of the environment in this area. Thus, we are collaborating with Teignbridge District Council on the portion of the project that will overlook Marine Parade, Dawlish, and with Natural England on the areas that are part of the Dawlish Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest.”
