ENGINEERS will be working round the clock over Christmas on the latest stretch of the project at Dawlish railway line.

Network Rail has announced its staff will be working from 5pm on Christmas Eve until 7am on Tuesday December 27 in Dawlish and near Holcombe.

The South West Rail Resilience programme says work will continue over the festive period on construction of the new rockfall shelter north of Parson’s Tunnel, using a special gantry crane to lift in pre-cast concrete sections of the structure.

Teams will also be installing piled foundations for the accessible footbridge with lifts at Dawlish station.

Due to industrial action by rail unions, the contractors will be starting work a few hours earlier than had been planned.

A spokesman said: ‘We’d like to say sorry for any noise or disruption our work may cause over Christmas and thank you to all our neighbours for your patience.’

Advice to anyone travelling is to plan ahead and check the first and last available trains.