Work on a section of railway line has been completed.

The railway between Axminster and Crewkerne reopened as planned yesterday (Sunday, September 23) morning after a nine-day closure, which saw Network Rail successfully install two 550-tonne underground culverts to improve resilience of the railway through Devon.

The structures were installed on sites at Axe Farm and Broom Lane in the Axe Valley as part of a £9.5 million investment with the aim of reducing the likelihood of flooding from a one in five year risk to a one in 20 year risk, according to the Environment Agency's flood risk modelling.

More than 100 members of Network Rail's 'team orange' workforce worked around the clock to complete the installation on schedule as part of the ongoing Railway Upgrade Plan.

In order to install the structures, the railway embankments on both sides were excavated, removing around 9,000 tonnes of soil before the culvert sections were installed with a 300-tonne crane.

Preparatory work on the scheme began in May, with the work set to be fully-completed in December this year.

Rebecca Wells, senior project manager for Network Rail, said: "I'd like to give thanks to passengers and the local community for their patience over the last nine days as we worked around the clock to complete the installations as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.
"The new flood resilience measures will mean we can provide a better, more reliable railway for passengers travelling through the south west."