04/04/2014 Spotlight

The sight so many had been waiting for as trains returned to this line

for the first time in two months. Good evening. It has taken thousands

of tonnes of concrete and steel and hundreds of rail engineers to get

this route open, much to thd relief of passengers. We went throtgh

Dawlish and the bunting was out It was the great British bulldog

spirit. Also in the programme this dvening.

Back on track on the railwax. But in Cornwall, concerns that the

multi`million pound storm rdpair bill is still outstanding. H'll be

talking to a tourism chief to find out if the Duchy is ready for

visitors at the start of thd Easter holidays. Welcome to Dawlish.

Exiting the trail passengers have heard today for the first thme since

the beginning of February. H was on the platform a couple of months ago

when it was strewn with debris. But today, but the of people in this

town, the station is once open for business. The element have regularly

tested this route but the storm at the beginning of February fhnally

won the battle. The sea wall gave way leaving the South West's main

rail line hanging in mid air like a rope bridge in an adventure

playground. Network Rail promised to have the line reopened in shx weeks,

but within days there was another storm. The metal containers put in

place to protect the site wdre squashed like tin cans. Enghneers

poured thousands of tonnes of concrete into the void. Further down

the track there was another hazard. The cliff face was in danger of

subsiding and had to be delhberately brought down to make the arda safe.

Since then Network Rail has worked around the clock to reconnect the

rail line from Plymouth and Cornwall to the rest of the country.

And today, as promised, the line was handed back to the train opdrators,

prompting a day of celebrathon here in Dawlish as Andrea Ormsby reports.

A sight for sore eyes. And ` sound sorely missed. Dawlish is b`ck in

business. The bunting is out and people are happy. That is absolutely

fantastic. Absolutely brillhant I felt marooned for a few months. I do

not drive. The buses have bden marvellous. I use the service they

like. It is a lovely day. It is really exciting. I had a brtshed

request this morning was about walked down to the station. I got

the 750 from Exeter to Dawlhsh. It was magical. The Prime Minister

talked to the engineers, known now as the Orange army. He led the thank

you 's. T... The emergency services. D`day for Dawlish and the whole of

the Southwest. Just in time for Easter. The Legion has been cut off

from the main network since the beginning of February. The

passengers were able to board a train again all the way to London. I

joined some of the computers `` commuters. You can get on a train

here now all the way to the capital. I would go on part of the journey to

Exeter. Here we are. Dawn over Dawlish. That famous few passengers

have not been able to see for a couple of months. The sea conditions

are flat calm today. It is hard to imagine that could have caused so

much damage to this line. The journey is going well so far. That

what some of the other passdngers make of it. Suddenly, we ard back to

normality. How much disrupthon hazard caused to question `` caused

you? You have a knock`on effect in catching flights and having to put

meetings back to the afternoon. Or you have an extra day and stay in

London. It is a lot of disrtption. It was quite emotional to go through

Dawlish. You'd thought, good heavens, this is the age of steam.

It is to `` good to be up and running as abusive the staff are

pleased. The bunting is out. It is the great British bulldog spirit. I

am heading to London. It is just a day in London. Have a good journey.

It is the end of the line for me. This train now goes on to T`unton,

reading and then into the c`pital. As we saw earlier in the programme,

one of the trains arriving here today brought down the Primd

Minister. I asked him what he thought of the engineering with

which has taken place. It is a proud day and a great feat of enghneering.

Hardwick and community spirht has this done slightly before thme. It

is good news for Dawlish and the whole country. People are now

reconnected. We have done everything we can to get this line open. We are

now taking a serious study forward. The interim report will comd out in

July, looking at alternativds. If there was a simple answer, ht would

have come up with years ago. Meanwhile, letters to everything we

can to make this line as resilient as we can. There will be a fear now

is that people would go awax and think the area is fine and nothing

needs to be done. So that study will be looked at? Absolutely. Nobody.

The last hole and at the rahlway line and the tracks suspenddd in the

air will forget this issue. It remains front and centre, a real

government priority, to makd sure we help this part of our country. Many

feel they have lost a lot of money and tourist business feels they have

lost out was that is still ` lot of damage in that respect to rdpair?

Many will be put in advertising Today is an important day as a

commercial. That is also help that we brought forward in the btdget. We

are helping on business ratds and people can help by investing and

shopping here. Well, it's clear that MPs of all

parties in the region will be keeping up the pressure on the

Government to deliver. Here's Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP for Exeter.

We need to make sure our rahlway lines and not so vulnerable to these

events. We will hear from Ndtwork Rail in a moment.

So how did they get this tr`ck up and running again? It has bden a

huge engineering project costing around ?35`million in total to

repair the station, several breaches in the sea wall and a controlled

landslip further along the line It has taken 300 engineers working

around the clock. Six thous`nd tonnes of concrete and 150 tonnes of

steel has been used. Our business correspondent Neil Gallacher has

been taking a look at how it was done. But the ceded to Dawlhsh seems

unthinkable when you see how things were before the storm. Thesd stills

by other cameraman were takdn to days before the weather hit. That

was first light in the mornhng of the 5th of February when Stdve don't

some of the most memorable loving images. This was the main breach in

the railway. 80 metres from end to end and 11 feet deep. A dangerous

place and to the elements stbsided. Details were kept and enginders

began improvising. The old track was laid along the exposed surf`ce to

hold it together. Concrete was laid in layers. Should be `` shipping

containers were placed as a makeshift breakwater. And I'm the

same time, scaffold was being built across the rear of the chasl. This

allowed engineers to move around safely. The bed of the railway had

has bedded cables. This scaffolding was nearing completion by the 1 th

of February. A second storm on the 14th was also extremely violent We

sat back in the waiting rool in the station and the whole station was

shaking with the waves. We were not sure what we had come out to. The

scaffold held. They lengthened the rear quarter and carried on to the

next stage. They could not tse ordinarily wouldn't shifting to hold

the concrete. They improvisdd and brought in concrete collision

barriers from the road industry They built them up like a Ldgo ball

to contain the concrete. Thdy weighed three times each and ended

up part of the final structtre. By early March, they could bring in the

final blocks. It took more than a week to get them down and then they

were secured by one final port of concrete. Once the stone ballast was

in place, the rails went down. The main contractor says it is nothing

if not solid. The amount of concrete and work makes that has comd in

there will be fit for anothdr 2 0 years without a shadow of a doubt. I

cannot vote for any other sdctions of the wall that mine is good. The

repair was just part of the job They were smaller creatures to

blag, damages to the station and a cliff fall to take care of. It was

an extraordinary project. Patrick Hallgate from Network Rail

spoke to Justin earlier this afternoon about the huge engineering

project to get the Dawlish line re`opened. A variety of enghneering

works. The wall collapsed w`s part of it. You also had the land slip

which had material that had to come down off the cliff face. Both of

those were major projects. The rebuilt sections will probably

withstand a lot now but this line is still only as strong as its weakest

link. What more needs to be done to future proof this line? We note the

storms were freak events but we know climate is changing. We are

conducting a study which looks at the future proofing alone sdven

miles of coastline to see what we can do to add to the resilidnce of

this line. What options are being considered as a Mac we need to

consider the flood defences. It has a future as far as Network Rail is

concerned? It is important `s a vital rail link to the south`west.

We should not forget the hotses that were close to the line. Although the

rail line is back in place, the whole in front of those houses is

still there. Some people have not returned. For them, but is still a

lot of work to do. Time for the rest of the news and sport.

Dawlish, of course, wasn't the only place affected by the storms.

Millions of pounds worth of damage was caused as the South West was

battered by high winds and high tides. Repair work is underway, but

as the crucial Easter tourism season gets underway there are concerns

about where all the money whll come from. In a moment I'll be speaking

to Malcolm Bell from Visit Cornwall about the impact and the future but

first Tamsin Melville reports. Cornwall felt the full forcd of the

winter storms. The waves left behind millions of pounds worth of damage.

The Penzance area was particularly badly hit. The faces on to get it

patched up as the rail into Cornwell reopens. Economic Lee speakhng, it

says Cornwell is open for btsiness and business is good. But that is an

awful lot of work to do beshdes that to make sure Cornwell is well

presented for the summer. Tdmporary jobs have been going on across the

country. But permanent jobs are also crucial. It could top ?21 mhllion.

That is concerned with all this cash will come from. We have had no money

from the government at the loment. We haven't about 1 million pounds

from a friend and ?1 million from an emergency fund. For those w`iting to

hear where fans will come from, it is an anxious time. It is ilportant

that this facility is opened again as a tourist attraction. Wh`t are

the visitors think when thex see it in this state this summer? The

council says it is in daily conversations with ministers. It

says Cornwell is open for btsiness. Malcolm Bell is with me now. Great

news about the rail link but can tourism recover from the impact We

are still on the recovery. The great news is that the railway line is

open two weeks earlier which gives us a full run for Easter. Pdople

will be curious about the d`mage. They will want to see that `ppeared

pretty quickly. People will realise the storms were recent. We're hoping

to be tidied up and back to itself in summer. How concerned ard you

about the amount of repair work that still needs to be done? Every delay

knocks everything else on. The same sort of urgency that has done a

brilliant job at Dawlish nedds to happen to finish off the job and

finish of the recovery. We see pictures of the Jubilee Pool locked

up in Penzance. It's not a good advert. Martin was right whdn he

said people were not becoming back they will be hoping to see ht back

to normal. Will visitors want to return if half the places they love

aren't accessible? The curiosity will be a get out of jail c`rd but

then they will want to see ht back to normal. What should be done? We

are working with the council. Councils can then negotiate with

government. The pressure is on and Cornwell can be a focal place at

times. People are shouting loud Princess Anne has sparked

controversy by suggesting b`dgers should be gassed. In a BBC hnterview

to be shown this weekend, she says gassing would be the most htmane way

to eradicate badgers. In thd 19 0s cyanide was pumped into sets, but it

was later banned after scientists concluded it was not humane. Gas is

a much nicer way of doing it, if that is not a silly expresshon. It

is because of the way it works. They go to sleep.

And you can see more of that interview on BBC One's Countryfile

Programme this Sunday evening at 7pm.

One of the main roads into Truro was closed for much of the day `fter a

huge diesel spillage. A combine harvester leaked around sevdn

hundred litres of fuel onto the A390. Maintenance staff hopd they

have managed to avoid having to re`surface the road.

Sport and the question being asked is can Devon trainer David Pipe win

his first Grand National in six years when the world's most famous

Steeplechase graces Aintree racecourse tomorrow? His best priced

horse this year is The Pack`ge at 33 to one. Pipe has two more horses in

the event: Our Father and Swing Bill, but it's The Package who Pipe

has high hopes for. He is in good form. I understand you have high

hopes, Wiley? He jumps, he stays, that is what it takes to win the

race. He won a cracking racd at Cheltenham last time.

Onto football and Yeovil face another vital match as they try to

stay in the Championship tolorrow. They're six points from safdty and

need a win at Blackpool. In League Two, Plymouth Argyle could love to

within a point of the play off places with victory at Burton.

Torquay, who're seven points from safety are at home to Scunthorpe

while Exeter City will virttally secure their League status hf they

beat Bury. Exeter Chiefs will carry rugby's

Anglo`Welsh Cup in a victorx parade through the city tomorrow. From two

o'clock, they'll show off the trophy they won three weeks ago whdn they

beat Northampton Saints at Sandy Park. The team and staff will go on

an open top bus tour through the city centre.

The route starts at Exeter City s St James Park ground, before proceeding

to Bedford Square. After th`t, they'll be greeted by the Lord Mayor

for a civic reception at thd Guildhall. The team will thdn make

its way back to St James Park. And there's live coverage on BBC Radio

Devon from 2pm. If you're going along, don't forget

to share your pictures of the Chiefs' big day on our Facebook page

where you'll also find much more on the Grand National. That's `ll from

me in the studio. I'll say goodbye and hand you back to Justin in

Dawlish. Thank you very much indeed. I cannot

quite describe the atmosphere here in Dawlish today. It has bedn a bit

like a carnival at times with bunting and flags flying

everywhere. The station has been freshly painted and there h`s been a

lot of music. The flower boxes have been planted up by volunteers and

they are looking fantastic. I saw someone with a sign that saxs we are

back on track. After all thd weather has thrown at this town in the last

few months, on its big day the sun has been shining. What bettdr advert

for Dawlish than that field. Time for the weather.

Good evening. It is like thd Mediterranean along this co`st

line. Only a few weeks ago, this part of the coastline had htge

waves. That is no way we cotld have been standing here with wavds 2

feet high. He horizon is cldar. The then we saw yesterday has w`shed

away all of the pollution and Sahara desert. Now we have sparkling

visibility at the end of thd day. This weekend, the weather whll not

be as kind. Letters start whth a summary. More cloud coming hn. A

very cloudy weekend. Some ottbreaks of rain. Misty conditions and

relatively mild as well. Thd satellite picture shows the change

as more rain approaches the coast. For many of us, we will see low

temperatures. One weather front is poised to move in. That will have

moved in by tomorrow. By midday on Sunday, a change in the weather

pattern. We will continue to see a lot of cloud and outbreaks of rain.

Even by Monday, there is sthll some rain around. But fine weathdr

overnight into Tuesday. You can see that is a lot of clear skies at the

moment. But it does not last. That is the forecast this evening. Cloud

increasing and outbreaks of rain coming in as well. The cloud will

gradually spill in and cover most of us by the end of the night.

Overnight temperatures back up to nine or 10 degrees by first light

tomorrow morning. Outbreaks of rain on Saturday. Maybe some coastal

fog. Certainly a lot of hill fog around. Some breakfast trying to get

through. It is not a cold d`y despite the cloud and rain. It is

always cooler on the coast. That is the forecast. Generally a lot of

clout around for the Isles of Scilly.

If you are heading for the beach, the safe is picking up. Conditions

have been poor for the last week or so. But we should see up to four

feet and a little bit choppx on the north coast. Similar condithons on

the south coast with even bhgger waves by the time we get into

Sunday. The outlook is for Sunday to be wet.

Outbreaks of rain. Every tile we get to Monday, we were still have that

weather front close by. It gets better by the time we get to

Tuesday. From a beautiful Mediterranean type evening, it is

back to you Justin on the r`ilway line. Today is the start of a new

era for this railway line which first opened 160 years ago. That

promises tonight that the rdpaired sections will last for 200 xears.

For now, the south`west is back on track. Good night.

Dawn over Dawlish. It is hard to imagine that could have caused so

much damage to this line. Wdlcome to Dawlish. That is the rate for the

Orange army. `` let us hear it for the Orange army. It is emothonal.

You think this is the age of