All were judged poor value for money so none were ultimately taken forward – though many are still pushing for the Dartmoor route.
Inland rural routes can come with their own issues, as shown by a key branch line connecting Exeter with Barnstaple in north Devon shutting for three weeks, external – and remaining shut now – due to damage from Storm Chandra in January.
For now, at Dawlish, we are stuck with this vulnerable line along the coast.
For its part, Network Rail says the new sea wall in the town faced its “biggest test” yet during Storm Ingrid and “performed as designed by deflecting waves back to into the sea”, which meant the line was reopened quickly.
DfT tells us it “will continue to work in partnership with Network Rail to ensure the line remains resilient and is fit for purpose for the communities it serves”.
But some think the remaining uncertainty of further closures on this arterial rail line shows the South West is being sidelined.
“I’m not blaming this government, it’s been successive governments and they’ve all failed to invest down here in the South West – but if they want to see growth, then we need to have that infrastructure in place,” says Julian Brazil, leader of Devon County Council.
“We’re not talking about, ‘Oh, can you shave a couple of minutes off the journey time’, we just want a line that’s reliable and resilient.”
Additional reporting by Archie Farmer.