Fighting for vital improvements to the railway line through Devon and Cornwall has been taking place for at least two decades. We've seen successive Governments promise to solve the issues and to ensure that this essential travel route is shored up and reliable for business and leisure users alike.
It's been a genuinely cross-party effort, with numerous MPs speaking up for the needs of Devon and Cornwall over the years.
I welcome the Prime Minister's response to the Parliamentary Question asked by local MP, Luke Pollard. I know his question will have been echoed by many other MPs from Devon and Cornwall present in the chamber of the House of Commons at the time.
The PM was asked the following question:
'Next week marks five years since the train line at Dawlish was washed away in storms. Five years on, that train line remains fragile. We need money, not more press releases. Can the Prime Minister help to unblock the £300 million upgrade that the Department for Transport is sitting on and use the anniversary next week to help the south-west—Plymouth and the rest of the far south-west—to keep our train line open and stop it being fragile and precarious?'
And responded:
'Obviously, passengers expect better. I understand from the Department of Transport that the first phase of work to protect the sea wall at Dawlish began in November, with essential repairs to the breakwaters. That is part of the £15 million wider investment to make the railway at Dawlish and Teignmouth more resilient to extreme weather. I reassure the hon. Gentleman that world-leading engineers have been carrying out the detailed ground investigations to develop a long-term solution to protect the railway in a way that minimises disruption for passengers. Network Rail will soon be reporting on how it will deliver this solution. I am clear that delivering this improvement to the south-west’s transport infrastructure is a national priority. It is essential for unlocking the region’s economic prosperity and jobs, and that is why we are giving it the focus that we are.'
My colleague, Sir Gary Streeter MP, met with the Chair of the Peninsula Rail Task Force (PRTF) last week. The PRTF have been working for a number of years on behalf of stakeholders across the South West to put pressure on the Government to deliver on the funding for much needed work to the railway line in Devon. Echoing the Prime Minister's response, I know from speaking with Gary that a positive update on the railway line is likely in the next few weeks.
I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that the Government delivers as it has promised on the work that is required to keep the railway line up and running, regardless of weather conditions and the types of trains on the track.
