Royal Demolition

Royal Marines from Lympstone near Exeter in Devon have undertaken a controlled demolition of a four hundred year old railway bridge on the closed section of the Teign Valley railway line. The line between Christow and Exeter was closed due to flooding in 1961 and the stations of Ashton and Christow abandoned on 1 May 1961 and the tracks lifted in 1963. The line was officially closed on 1 July 1968. The line had twenty-five bridges, thirty culverts and two tunnels.

The line was operated by the Teign Valley Railway Company and Exeter Railway Company until 1 July 1923 when they both became a part of Great Western Railways. In 1948 the big four railway companies became part of a nationalised British Railways, from 1965 British Rail or BR. The Chudleigh bypass was opened on 21 June 1973 and as reminder to the one time railway station the junction of the B3344 with the A38 is called Chudleigh Station. Following severe flooding which washed away the sea wall and tracks at Dawlish in 2014 a new inland railway route is being looked at which includes the old Teign Valley railway line. Many old railway bridges are now under preservation orders.