Sinkhole shuts train line between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot
Emergency repairs to begin after storms cause sinkhole near Dawlish
Last updated 28th Jan 2026
Emergency repairs take place tonight on the train line at Dawlish after the weekend's Storm Ingrid resulted in an eight-metre sinkhole.
Severe flooding and the newly-discovered sinkhole forced the closure of the line between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot this week, causing travel disruption across Devon and Cornwall.
Network Rail confirmed that a sinkhole measuring 8m x 3.5m was discovered between Dawlish and Teignmouth, and as a result, emergency engineering work will close the route between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot from 1900 on Wednesday 28th January to 0700 on Thursday 29th January.
Meanwhile, widespread floods have also shut several branch lines, and train services have been cancelled between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple, Exeter St Davids and Okehampton (via Crediton), Liskeard and Looe, and Par and Newquay.
“Intense rainfall over the past few days has caused significant flooding across parts of Devon and Cornwall, and we’ve had to close four branch lines in the region as a result. Flooding in the Hele area of Devon means the main line between Taunton and Exeter St Davids is also closed," Marcus Jones, Network Rail’s Western route director, said.
“Our teams are on the ground around the clock, working as quickly as we safely can to assess the impact of the flooding. Once the water recedes, we’ll need to carry out safety inspections before the lines can reopen.”
Services between London and Taunton/Exeter St Davids, and Newton Abbot and Penzance will continue to run. Bus replacements will operate between Taunton, Exeter St Davids, and Newton Abbot, as well as between Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, and Tiverton Parkway, where conditions allow.
The Night Riviera Sleeper will not run in either direction between Paddington and Penzance on Wednesday evening but will resume on Thursday 29th January.
Travel advice has been issued, urging passengers to check journey planners before attempting to travel. Rail tickets for Tuesday 27th January will remain valid until Thursday 29th January, or a full refund can be claimed here.
Passengers are advised to expect delays on replacement buses as roads in the region are also flooded. Network Rail engineers will prioritise reopening the main line once floodwaters recede.