Plymouth to Totnes train line reopens following major engineering works

Train services between Plymouth and Totnes have resumed today (9 March) after engineers completed a major upgrade to a railway bridge over the River Plym.

Works were carried out by Network Rail and involved a 16-day closure of the line while crews worked around the clock to strengthen the bridge near the A38 Devon Expressway.

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According to Network Rail, more than 16,000 working hours were logged during the project, with engineers installing 134 new steel rail bearers and refurbished steelwork on the bridge deck and girders.

Timber sections along the bridge were replaced with 24 fibre-reinforced foamed urethane (FFU) timbers.

FFU is a synthetic material which is lighter than traditional timber, needs less maintenance and can last up to six times longer.

A further 180 metres of new rail were installed across the bridge as part of what Network Rail described as the first major upgrade to the structure in decades. 

The bridge was originally built in 1868 and now carries faster and heavier trains than when it was first constructed.

ABOVE: Plym bridge work viewed from the public footpath (Image: Network Rail)

While the railway line was closed, engineers also carried out other planned works in the South Devon area. 

This included replacing around 400 metres of rail near Newton Abbot, resurfacing the final section of the Plymouth-bound platform at Totnes railway station, and upgrading track crossings near Ivybridge, Newton Abbot and Plympton.

Maintenance work was also carried out on track and drainage systems, vegetation along the route was cleared, and surveys were completed ahead of future signalling upgrades.

Dan Parkes, principal portfolio manager at Network Rail, said:

“This has been an intense period of work and we’ve got an awful lot done to help keep the railway running safely long into the future.

“We’re very grateful to passengers for their patience and understanding while the railway has been temporarily closed.”

Great Western Railway station manager Sharon Holloway said the improvements would help maintain services for passengers travelling in and out of the region.

“We are really pleased that, working with our partners, we have been able to deliver these improvements, which will keep passengers safely moving in and out of Devon and Cornwall for years to come,” she said.

She added that the company understood that engineering works can cause disruption to journeys but thanked passengers for their patience while the upgrades were completed.