Storms Wash U.K. Rail Line Into Sea, Cutting Off Western England
This article is for subscribers only.
Storms that lashed Britain today washed an 80-meter (260-feet) stretch of the Great Western rail route into the sea, leaving tracks dangling above the waves and severing the counties of Devon and Cornwall from the network.
The section of the Dawlish sea wall, which has protected the line between London Paddington and Penzance for more than 150 years, collapsed under the weight of crashing waves, with ballast and foundations falling into the sea. Network Rail Ltd. said the route beyond Exeter is closed “until further notice.”