ENGINEERS are to resume work in Teignmouth on phase five of the programme to make the rail line more resilient.

Staff from Network Rail will be back at the site off Cliff Road in Teignmouth, above Sprey Point where in January and February they will be running a deep cliff dewatering trial.

Pumps will be used to remove rainwater from the cliffs into the sea via a pipe under the railway.

A spokesman for Network Rail’s South West Rail Resilience Programme said: ‘We will need to excavate part of the beach to expose our pipe.

‘The results of the trial will guide the next stage of the programme.

‘We’ve worked alongside the Environment Agency on our plans.’

The footpath through the work site is suspended until 31 March 2027 to keep everyone safe.

The ongoing trial is to remove water from the cliffs and is testing methods for pumping the water out to assess if it helps prevent further landslips.

Phase 5 of the scheme to protect the vulnerable coastal rail line has not been given Government funding.

But the sandstone cliffs, which are up to 70 metres, are too too weak for soil-nailing and netting which has been used in earlier phases further along the cliff.

Phase five covers the 1.1 mile-long section of railway running along the coastline from Parson’s Tunnel to Teignmouth.

Network Rail is testing water-removal methods.

The plan is for two wells to be dug on land above Sprey Point and pumps installed to drain water from the cliffs and into the sea via a temporary pipe under the railway.

An additional bore hole will also be dug.

That and bore holes previously dug for ground investigation work will be used to monitor how successful this method is.

If the trial proves successful at this location, a second trial could be carried out in a different location, subject to funding.