PRIME Minister David Cameron visited the storm-hit Westcountry this week and declared that the South Hams is open for business.

Mr Cameron was visiting Dawlish to view the site of the wrecked railway line, which has cut off the South Hams from the rest of the country, for himself.

He said: 'We have to send out the message that Devon and the Westcountry is open for business and tourism and people should be encouraged to come here.'

Mr Cameron was in the south west on Tuesday for the second day running to see for himself the impact of the storms which have been hitting local coastlines for weeks on end – especially the wrecked rail line at Dawlish.

He assured people including commuters from across the South Hams: 'This rail link will be re-established in the six-week timetable. This line does have a future, it is incredibly beautiful and scenic part of our infrastructure.

'It is challenged by the weather but we will bring all our resources to make sure it can be back up and running.

'I am glad I came to see it myself as you don't get the sheer scale of the collapse in photos and on television.'

He added: 'Network Rail are working as hard as they can, they have a good plan and we have promised everything we can to help. But we need to look at the resilience of the line in the long term and see what other alternatives may be available.

'It makes sense and it is right to review and consider these alternatives and any other proposals.

'In the short-term though, we have to get the line open.

'Longer term we need to see what more we can do to improve the sea defences.'

This came as Jonathan Hawkins, county and district councillor for Dartmouth and Kingswear, has reiterated that urgent Government action is needed to keep Dartmouth and the South Hams connected to the rest of the UK. He said: 'It's not good for any of us as no one can get down here. The Government has got to start taking it seriously. We need a second line in Devon.

'We can't rely on the Dawlish line in bad weather. That has to happen – it's got to happen.

'The one thing we've got to all do now is to get the Government to realise that we need funding in the South West for our roads and trains – we suffer because we haven't got them.'

Dartmouth MP Sarah Wollaston has rejected a single new rail route which would completely bypass Totnes as a solution to the region's latest rail disaster.

Meanwhile, local rail commuters face six weeks of rail travel chaos as Network Rail continues its battle to reopen the storm-damaged line at Dawlish.

The MP is demanding the immediate repair of the coastal route and while she wants the Government to look at possible alternative rail routes through Devon, she said: 'On that matter, some have raised about where a hypothetical inland line would go and I know there has been some discussion of a line that would run from Exeter to Okehampton and then down to Plymouth.

'I would be unequivocally opposed to such a measure if this was to be the only line as I am not prepared to accept a solution to this problem that compromises rail services at Totnes or Newton Abbot.

'I have met several times with First Great Western and Network Rail since the election and have always pressed upon them the importance of a full and proper service at Totnes, I will continue to do so.'

Paul Reach, Dartmouth's Business Improvement District team chairman, said it would be 'disastrous' if the line was cut.

He said: 'We are going to be writing to Sarah Wollaston to show our support and will be lobbying strongly on behalf of this area.

'If they take the train north of the Totnes route, it will cut the South Hams off completely – we are not happy about the plans. It could be disastrous for the Westcountry if the line is cut.

'We have been working with the Dartmouth and Kingswear Society on extending the line from Paignton to Kingswear and Dartmouth and if this happens the whole plan will be up in the air.

'It will have a really negative impact on this area and we are desperately keen to do as much lobbying as we can,' he added.

Meanwhile, passengers using Totnes railway station were faced with uncertainty as to just how they were likely to get to their destination.

On Monday morning, there were just a handful of commuters waiting to catch the 8.11am train to Exeter when normally the platform would have been crowded.

Those that were there expecting to catch a train to Newton Abbot before bussing it to Exeter were told with just minutes to go to their train arrival that they had to cross the station and pick up a coach from Totnes instead.

One Dartmouth woman commuter who was heading for work at Exeter said: 'It's a nightmare, quite literally.

'I know they don't know what the game plan is and there is a lack of information but when you are late for work every morning it is not good.'

Dr Wollaston was unable to take part in a meeting between South West MPs and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin last week because she was being treated for a broken arm.

But she said: 'If this was an exceptional event happening once a decade, I think that people would be more understanding of the disruption. '

However, these issues with our train line are occurring on an almost annual basis now and with no sign of the bad weather ending, definitive action on a long term solution needs to be taken.

And she added: 'I feel we must seek urgent repairs to the line at Dawlish now and also look at all the possible options to improve resilience including bypassing this stretch of coastline.'

The Dartmouth and Kingswear Society will be discussing the restoration of services from Exeter to Newton Abbot and beyond and the various alternatives currently being considered, at a public forum at the Flavel next week.

The forum on Tuesday, February 18, was originally billed as the launch of the society's campaign to re-connect the timetabled mainline services beyond Paignton to Kingswear and Dartmouth, but due to the damage caused at Dawlish last week, it was felt a general discussion on the future of rail services to the South Hams was necessary.

'We will still focus on trying to restore a regular Kingswear service in addition to the tourist steam trains', said chairman of D and K Society and town councillor Tony Fyson. 'But repairs and service resumption on the Paddington to Totnes and Paignton routes are clearly of vital importance to the whole of Torbay and the Dartmouth area.'

Cllr Fyson said the D and K Society was concerned that national discussion so far has mainly referred to the need to reconnect Plymouth and Penzance to London. There have also been recent suggestions that the next round of mainline franchise negotiations might lead to a reduction in the number of trains stopping at Totnes.

'The authorities should bear in mind that 131,000 people live in Torbay, with a relatively high proportion of elderly people who don't use cars to travel long distances, and many thousands more who come by train as visitors. There should be a timetabled option available to encourage them to come as far as Dartmouth,' said Cllr Fyson.

'There are many current uncertainties about the weather and the time that it will take to rebuild the sea defences at Dawlish, but it is vital that the necessary work is done before the tourist season starts in earnest in the spring.

'Connection to national rail services is a valuable asset for economic development purposes too.

'Investment will be encouraged to come to Dartmouth if there is a better option than a long road journey to Totnes station to get a train.'

The public forum will be held at 7.30pm next Tuesday at the Flavel.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin visited Dawlish last Friday to see for himself the impact of the storms on the rail network and Prime Minister David Cameron came down on Tuesday to see the damage.

Network Rail said that workmen have been working to protect the most damaged section of sea wall in Dawlish.

Rail and concrete sleepers that once carried trains along the sea wall have been cut away and placed across the bottom of the damaged section. These are gradually being reinforced with sprayed fast-drying concrete, which will form a temporary barrier.

The most damaged platform at Dawlish station has been demolished and will be rebuilt in the coming weeks.

A spokesman said a full assessment of repairs would come with calmer weather after the weekend, along with a revised timescale. Initial assessments are that it will be at least six weeks to completion from when work begins.

Network Rail has mobilised a range of specialist contractors, engineers and suppliers from across the country to help with the work needed at Dawlish and has also taken up the offer of discussions with the Ministry of Defence to see if there is any help which can be provided by armed forces personnel based in the south west.

South West Councils' chairman and Devon County Council leader John Hart has praised the response to the region's rail disaster.

He said: 'I want to thank First Great Western, Cross Country and South West Trains for the way they have arranged a timetable of alternative coaches and reduced prices as a concession to travellers for the disruption.

'When I met the Transport Secretary on Friday I emphasised the need for an urgent and coordinated response by Government and I think the Prime Minister's visit is evidence of the importance he places on resolving our problems. But I must reiterate the south west's very real need for extra financial help to enable us to deal with all the repairs needed on our roads.

'I welcome the Government's pledge to resume dredging on the Somerset Levels and to launch an urgent review of how to improve the resilience of our rail network throughout the far south west.

'We can't control the weather but we can make sure that we are better able to cope with the sort of extreme weather we have seen this winter. And we must do it urgently.

'In the meantime, we must all join together to proclaim that south west is open for business.'