Michael Ireland, the chair of OkeRail, has argued that completing the Dartmoor Line link to Plymouth is necessary to reduce rail disruption if the main coastal line is closed.

His statement came after the Okehampton annual assembly at which a council representative, speaking on behalf of Network Rail, expressed doubt about the likelihood of completing the railway link between Okehampton and Tavistock. In response, Mr Ireland has stressed that joining the Dartmoor Line to Plymouth could serve as a vital alternative when there is coastal line disruption due to storm damage at Dawlish.

He said: "The officer's comments ignored climate change, and the link is necessary because of climate change. You can't be almost King Canute-like and hope to keep back the sea on the Dawlish line forever.

"I've always argued that [the Dartmoor Line is] a complementary line to avoid the necessary disruption we get when there are closures of the line."

Cllr Mandy Ewings, Leader of West Devon Borough Council said: "The council would be delighted if at some point in the future, the Government’s position on strategic rail west of Exeter changes. In the meantime, we are pleased to have secured funding for the delivery of the West Devon Transport Hub, an additional train station on the successfully re-opened Dartmoor Line. "

In 2014, Dawlish made headlines when a storm severely damaged the rail track. Network Rail was able to repair the damage within eight weeks. However, there are fears that climate change's impact will increase the likelihood of such an event happening again.