Wavewalker starts work at Dawlish

The second phase of resilience work at Dawlish station began on November 5, with the arrival off the coast of an eight-legged walking jack-up barge known as a Wavewalker.

The machine will be used by contractor BAM Nuttall to access the sea face of the railway embankment along Marine Parade and help install piling at the sea wall. It is able to operate across high tidal ranges that would otherwise restrict the number of hours that can safely be worked in the area.

The second phase involves construction of 415 metres of sea wall with a recurve panel to deflect waves and a high-level and wider promenade. It is expected to take around two years to complete, and together with the recently finished Phase 1 west of the station costs £80 million.