NETWORK Rail has responded to fears the Cambrian Line could be cut from Machynlleth to Aberystwyth due to sea level rises and floods in the Dyfi estuary.

Borth residents have raised concerns that regional authorities might allow the village to be lost to the sea if the final stretch of the important rail link is deserted sooner than expected.

But Network Rail – the owner and manager of most rail infrastructure in the UK – says there is no ‘severe threat’ in the ‘short to medium term’.

A spokesperson told the Cambrian News it is confident the line will remain fully operational well into the 2040s – and no discussions have taken place about closing the line due to rising sea levels.

Scientists at US not-for-profit Climate Central have produced models that indicate much of the Dyfi estuary could be underwater by 2030 – while even more will be covered by increasingly regular annual flooding.

Long-term resident James Davies – who has a background in physics and oceanography – told the Cambrian News he hoped delays in upgrading Borth sea defences were not because authorities are ready to accept the loss of the final stretch of the Cambrian Line. He says protecting the railway has always been an important bargaining chip for preventing authorities turning their back on Borth. The Cambrian News recently ran a story about the future of the coastal village and the concerns for communities along the west Wales coastline.

But a Network Rail Spokesperson said: “Resilience is a key focus for the railway in Wales and the borders and we have many schemes in place, some that have been fast-tracked, to reduce the impacts of climate change.

“We’ve already begun to make the Conwy, Cambrian, Marches and Severn Estuary Lines more flood resistant, with innovative interventions like the installation of rock armour, cliff-face stabilization and even raising black bridge away from the river Dulais flood zone, where there have since been no flood closures.

“Coastal flooding is an ongoing issue we face across Britain, with more frequent storms and continuously rising sea-levels.

“We constantly monitor this at Network Rail, with daily updates from The Met Office about tides, wind speed and wave heights.

“If there is a flood risk, we temporarily stop trains running, as safety is our number one priority.

“In areas like Dovey Junction, where all electrical equipment has been installed high above water levels, the impact of coastal flooding is very limited, and we’re able to reopen the railway without delay once the tide has receded.”

In response, Mr Davies said: “I agree that the line is probably not going to close before 2050, although we may see increasing interruptions to service.

“At a point, post-2050, the likely scenario is that storm damage will occur at such regularity and ferocity that it will be economically unfeasible to keep the Dovey stretch of the line open.”