Disruption as storm-hit rail lines remain closed
Network RailStorm-damaged rail branch lines in the South West are still unable to reopen, engineers said.
Rail services are currently unavailable on lines serving Liskeard to Looe and Crediton to Barnstaple due to flood damage following Storm Chandra last month.
Great Western Railway (GWR) said the line in Cornwall was not expected to reopen until March, while Network Rail said the line in Devon cannot safely start operating again until checks have been completed on seven bridges along the route.
Paul Gentleman from GWR apologised for the disruption and said teams were working hard to restore the two services.
Gentleman said the back-to-back storms of Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra caused various problems across the network.
He said the Liskeard to Looe line is "a much bigger problem" but hopes to have services back running on 6 March.
Gentleman added: "This has been closed not for weeks, but for months, which is really not great for the people who want to use that line.
"We know the weather forecast isn't necessarily the greatest at the moment and we are keeping an eye on that but hopefully the flood water will subside enough for us to be able to start on or around that date."
Dan Parkes from Network Rail said a section of track washed out in 25 different places along the Crediton to Barnstaple line.
He said 300 tonnes (47,242st) of new material was brought in to fix the track and "that work had been achieved".
However, he said for the line to reopen, seven bridges needed to be inspected and engineers had been unable to do this "due to the conditions".
GWR said services are still able between Exeter and Okehampton and Exeter and Crediton.
