The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick McLoughlin)
Earlier this year, I commissioned Network Rail to undertake a study to identify options for providing a resilient rail route west of Exeter.
Network Rail has now provided me with this study which is available on Network Rail’s website at: www.networkrail.co.uk/WestofExeterRouteResilienceStudy.pdf. The study considers the options below:
Option 1—Base Case.
Option 2—Strengthening the existing railway.
Option 3—Alternative route A—the former London & South Western Railway route from Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton.
Option 4—Alternative route B—constructing a modern double track railway on the alignment of the former Teign Valley branch line from Exeter to Newton Abbot.
Option 5—Alternative route C (C1 - C5)—five alternative direct routes would provide a new line between Exeter and Newton Abbot.
Network Rail’s west of Exeter route resilience study reflects the Government’s commitment to delivering world-class transport infrastructure in the south-west. It will be treated as a material input for Network Rail’s long-term planning process and will be incorporated in the western route study, a draft of which will be published for consultation later in 2014.
It is imperative that this work leads to improvements to the resilience of the railways in the south-west that ensure there is no repeat of the disruption we saw earlier this year.
I expect to make a further statement in the autumn regarding the west of Exeter route resilience study and our next steps.