Parsons Tunnel to Teignmouth Resilience Project

Phase five of the South West Rail Resilience programme covers the 1.1 mile-long section of railway running along the coastline from Parson’s Tunnel to Teignmouth.

From November 2025 to April 2026, we’re planning to conduct a trial to remove water from the cliffs. The trial will test a method of pumping water from the cliffs to assess if it helps prevent landslips.

Two wells are planned to be dug on land above Sprey Point and pumps installed to drain water from the cliffs and into the sea via a temporary pipe under the railway. Pumping will take place round the clock for seven consecutive days for each well.

An additional bore hole will also be dug. That and bore holes previously dug for ground investigation work will be used to monitor how successful this method is. If the trial proves successful at this location, a second trial could be carried out in a different location, subject to funding. A minimum of two trials are required to prove the concept. This will guide future plans to complete phase five.

Previous proposals

In 2020, we carried out a second round of consultation on our proposals to realign the railway to make room for corrective measures to stabilise the cliffs. You can find the background to these proposals and the feedback we received below.

We are working hard to find a solution that reduces the impact on the beaches between Holcombe and Teignmouth but still provides a high level of resilience for the railway. This includes an examination of what could be done if we leave the railway where it is. We are also working to reduce carbon and wider environmental impact.

Contact us

You can get in touch by going to our contact us page, calling our 24-hour helpline on 03457 11 41 41 or on X at @networkrailwest