The Town Council have received the following updates from GWR with regard to Exeter St David’s to Newton Abbott and the Looe Valley Lines:

Service Disruption 23-24 January 2026: Exeter St David’s to Newton Abbott: Forecasted heavy and persistent rain in the South West, combined with gusts of up to 60mph in coastal areas during high tide, means there’s a significant risk of flooding, as well as debris on the railway.

As a result, the line will be closed from 20:30 today (Friday 23 January) until at least 14:00 tomorrow (Saturday 24 January), when safety inspections can be carried out. GWR are expecting disruption to services to continue until 16:00 tomorrow.

Rail replacement services will operate from Exeter St David’s to Dawlish, Dawlish Warren, Teignmouth and Newton Abbot. Passengers travelling towards Newton Abbot and beyond will need to change at Exeter St David’s.

Tickets will also be valid on Stagecoach bus routes 2, 7 and 12 between Exeter, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Torquay and Paignton and your tickets for today and tomorrow will be valid on Sunday 25 January. The most up to date information on the line is available on the GWR website: https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/travel-updates/live-network-updates

Looe Valley Line: Heavy rainfall during December, combined with high tides, caused water levels at several bridges along the branch line to rise above a safe operating limited. This resulted in damage to several bridges, meaning trains could not operate safely. More recently, Storm Goretti brough further heavy rain and strong winds to the area, causing water levels to rise again and delayed the commencement of repair work.

The majority of the work on the line has been completed and GWR were expecting to re-open the line today but unfortunately with additional rainfall today and high tides, it’s not yet safe to reopen.

As a result, all train services to and from Liskeard, Sandplace and Looe remain suspended. Disruption is expected to continue until at least the end of the day on Saturday 24 January 2026. However, GWR would encourage customers to check before they travel as this may be subject to change.

Rail replacement services are in operation, with coaches running at scheduled train times between Liskeard and Looe. Pick-up locations are as follows:

• Liskeard: Opposite the main station building
• Sandplace: Bus stops by the station entrance
• Looe: Front of the station

The most up to date information on the line is available on the GWR website: https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/travel-updates/live-network-updates