Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions his Department has had with Network Rail on the South West Resilience Programme.

Department officials meet with their counterparts from Network Rail on a weekly basis to discuss the progress of the South West Rail Resilience Programme.

The Department has so far committed approximately £140m towards the development and delivery of the South West Rail Resilience Programme. Funding for further phases of the Programme will be considered in accordance with Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline principles supported by a business case.

The following investment has been provided for the Programme via the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline:

• Development funding - £17.2m
• Phase 1 & 2 (Dawlish sea wall) - £85.3m
• Phase 3 (Parsons Tunnel rock fall shelter) - £37.44m

Phase 4 (cliff protection measures between tunnels) will be submitted for investment approval in Autumn 2021. Phase 5 (Parsons Tunnel to Teignmouth) is at an earlier development stage and is currently the subject of an optioneering exercise being undertaken by Network Rail.