‘Flooding’ halts trains for days

The white marker is the flood alert level - photo courtesy of Network Rail

The same bridge parapet underwater - photo courtesy of Network Rail

Trains between Barnstaple and Exeter were suspended for more than six days after heavy rain, including from Storm Claudia, triggered flood safety monitors along the Tarka Line.

James Crook from Network Rail said, “Our remote monitoring equipment found water had reached the closure markers at three bridges/viaducts on the route, hence why we had to close the line.”

“In order to reopen the line, we need to get a team of specialist divers to inspect the lower part of the structures affected to ensure they haven’t been affected by scour. In order to do that, the water has to recede below these closure markers.”

The first trains were cancelled around 4pm on Wednesday, November 12th with services set to resume on the morning of Wednesday, November 19th. Passengers had to use buses and taxis.

Tim Steer, chair of Railfuture in Devon and Cornwall, said recent issues with overcrowding on the line between north Devon and Exeter showed the line needed to be modernised.

“GWR are going from one crippling challenge to the next, whether it’s overcrowding at busy times, or this where the line is not even open - this Victorian infrastructure needs to be addressed now.”

The introduction of a fleet of new trains on the Tarka Line has been delayed, and campaigners are calling for urgent upgrades to the tracks to help prevent closures.

David Northey, chair of the North Devon Line Rail Promotion Group, “For many residents, the railway is not a luxury – it is an essential lifeline for work, education, healthcare and access to wider opportunities.”

Passengers had to use bus and taxi services during the closure.

North Devon MP Ian Roome has launched a petition to get the service on the Tarka Line improved - you can sign it online here.