WORK to shore up the cliffs between Dawlish and Holcombe to protect the coastal railway is starting this week. 

Network Rail has announced it will be installing a series of protection measures, from netting designed to retain the cliffs in some high-risk locations, as well as catch fences, which will stop any cliff material before it reaches the railway.

The £34.7m Government-funded project involves installing coir matting on the cliff face, followed by 19,700 square metres of stainless steel netting, secured by more than 6,000 soil nails drilled to depths of up to 13m into the face of the cliff.