Dawlish News

So other parts of the country can do it but businesses in the South West can't make a case for shorter journey times and increased passenger numbers?   Doesn't surprise me, you only have to look at Dawlish.   For a town that is in desperate need of visitors there's a derelict sea front and gone 5pm it's a ghost town.  Who'd bother stopping.  And if you do, you're met with a manky station and grotty viaduct.  Granted it's better than it was but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  As for the railway bridge.  Whose bright idea was it to replace an eyesore rusting bridge with an eyesore plastic one.    

In the 20 years I have been visiting Dawlish, I have only encountered major travel issues twice.  Both of these were as a direct result of rolling stock issues and not infrastucture.   The line as it stands is in need of investment, however, until the issues surrounding the routing of the line are resolved, none of the investment will materialise.  

One a separate note.   The viaduct at Dawlish is a listed structure and as such had to be replaced like for like.   It was not someone's bright idea, it was a legal requirement and as it is made out of GRP it will not rust or discolour, reducing both the ongoing repair costs and the impact on travel for work to be carried out.  

To close, please don't bad mouth the town of Dawlish, athough the town is seasonal, the sea front is far from derelict, the town is not a ghost town after 1700 during the high season, the station is not grotty, it is maintained by a hard working team.   

When did Dawlish accuire a sea front. Its a stone and concrete wall with a decrepid rusty old railway perched alongside. How can anyone find that attractive and a place worth visiting. Now Teignmouth on the other hand, now thats a sea front.

All will be better though when the railway moves in land opening up the oppertunity for investment in the town and maybe then we will have a sea front. On the other hand the land will probably be bought by some local family and covered in houses a bit like the green fields

Dawlish has plenty to be proud of but there's plenty of room for improvement too.  It's fair to say that the cafes are usually closed by 4 and the only places on the Strand open in the evening will be Jack Sprats and the Co-op.   It's not a great vibe for a seaside town.  Last year I remember someone posting about their frustration when not even the chip ships stayed open for the music festival.     

The railway bridge was listed but so was the signal box, yet it suited Network Rail to have it de-listed in order to demolish it.  Just because the bridge was old doesn't mean it was good and it wasn't even built as part of the original station. Wiith all that money being spent, a more attractive FRP bridge could have been put in place for a Dawlish of the future not the past.   Just my opinion.

Does anyone know what's happening with Red Rock, Pirate's Chest and the promised cafe facilities at Coryton Cove, currently served by a mobile burger bar?

Dawlish is not unique with shops, and cafe's closing early i have just arrived back in our beautiful town after spending a few days in Lynmouth and Linton the same happens there 1700 and everyone goes home. The reason it happens in Dawlish is simple folk go back to there campsites most are self catering and then the clubs are open and they spend there evenings at the Warren enjoying the entertanment and a pint its always been that way and it's not worth paying staff for the few stragglers that are left.