After five days of work between Axminster and Pinhoe, Network Rail has thanked passengers for their patience whilst engineers worked at Honiton Tunnel to protect the site against landslips.

Due to the area around the tunnel, the section of line has suffered from landslips in the past, including one in 2001 which caused a train to derail.

Engineers have completed work on two retaining walls to stop any landslips where the line runs through a cutting leading up to the tunnel.

Drainage systems at the cutting were also improved and this, along with the new retaining walls, will make the line more resilient to heavy rainfall in the future.

Follow up work is set to be completed in December, as well as another line closure next year.

Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Wessex route director, said: “We’d like to thank customers for their patience during last week’s disruption. We’ve made good progress that will give our customers a much more reliable railway going forward.

“This is just the start of a long-term programme to make this railway cutting more resilient. There will be some weekend closures where we continue our work, but this five-day closure means there we won’t need as many of them.

“It was a challenging five days as our teams found a number of natural springs which made digging out earth and pouring concrete difficult, but they adapted the programme of work to ensure a lot of progress was still made.”

Christian Neill, Customer Experience Director for South Western Railway, commented: “I am delighted that Network Rail has made fantastic progress and the line between Axminster and Pinhoe will reopen on time.

“I would like to thank customers for their understanding as these vital works have been carried out, particularly in the context of wider challenges on the West of England line.

“These upgrades will boost the reliability and resilience of a vital part of our network, and the progress this past week will prevent the need for as many future closures as the renewal project continues.”