While attention was focussed on the breach of the sea wall north of Dawlish in February 2014, a major landslip occurred south of Parsons Tunnel. Rather than leave it to slip slowly over time - and potentially block the line again - it was decided to wash the loose rocks away. This is the gash in the cliffs that was the result.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Geof_Sheppard" title="User:Geof Sheppard">Geof Sheppard</a> (<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Geof_Sheppard" title="User talk:Geof Sheppard"><span class="signature-talk">talk</span></a>)
CC BY-SA 3.0
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>