South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith has raised urgent concerns following further storm damage after Storm Ingrid caused the sea wall to collapse in two new locations.

Miss. Smith warned that the vulnerability of the main rail line connecting Devon and Cornwall to the rest of the country has once again been laid bare.

“This line is not a luxury but a necessity for hundreds of thousands of people, supporting jobs, tourism, education and access to essential services across the South West” said Miss. Smith.

Following the devastating storms of 2014, the South West Rail Resilience Programme was established to protect this vital route.

Under the previous Conservative government, £165 million was invested to deliver the first four stages of the programme, including rebuilding the sea wall at Dawlish and strengthening cliff defences, significantly improving the resilience of the line.

However, the final and most complex phase of the scheme has now been paused, leaving critical sections of the route without long-term protection at a time when extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe.

Raising the issue in the House of Commons, Miss. Smith asked the Chancellor and Treasury Ministers whether contingency funding would be guaranteed for urgent and unplanned resilience works, particularly given concerns about the absence of a Treasury emergency reserve.

In response, the Minister pointed to departmental contingency planning but did not provide a clear guarantee that emergency funding would be available when required.

Speaking after her question, Miss. Smith said: “This railway is a lifeline for Devon and Cornwall.

“The previous government recognised that and invested £165 million to strengthen and protect it.

“Pausing the final phase of resilience works is now having real-world consequences.

“Each storm brings disruption, uncertainty and economic damage to our communities.

“When extreme weather strikes, assurances about contingency planning are not enough.

We need clear commitments to complete the resilience programme in full and guarantee funding for urgent works when they are needed.”