Railway closed in Devon , England

For the first time dine the severe storms of 2014 , the line between Exeter and Newton Abbot is closed .
I hope it is open by Tuesday , when I next need to use the route to Cornwall .
It is a wonderfully scenic line that hugs the . coast

It is the only route into Cornwall .
The second , more direct route was closed in the 1960,s.

When an storm closes the line there are calls to reopen the second route.
That would require the Meldon viaduct to be rebuilt at huge coast .

The old route has been built over in places and a huge number of people own land on the site of the old line .
Quite simply it is not going to happen .

We have an excellent rail maintenance company Network Rail aka The British Goverment . Insure the line will soon be re opened .

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gandalf1957 · 61-69, M

With the benefit of hindsight the Beeching cuts and subsequent land sell offs were short sighted`. My late father said that at the time (1960s) and kept on saying it.

I guess the cost of maintaining the Meldon viaduct was one reason why that line was closed?

devonman · 61-69, M

@gandalf1957 Opinions vary . When the BR region were created there was still
rivalry between Paddington ( GWR! )
and Waterloo ( SR)
A drcision was taken by BR not to maintain the Viaduct and to close the old Southern Raiilway route to Plymouth and Cornwall , the line terminating at Exeter . As you say a big mistake .