Extra protection is to be given to a section of the Cumbrian Coast Line which was badly damaged as a result of Storm Desmond.

Following the storms in December last year, Network Rail announced plans to improve the rock armour defences on a section of the route at Flimby, which were originally put in place following storms in December 2013.

The proposal, which was approved by Allerdale Council, has also been welcomed by the Copeland Rail Users’ Group (CRUG) which campaigns to preserve and improve local services on the Cumbrian Coast Line.

Temporary defences were also put in place in February 2014 to allow the line to reopen, but Network Rail said that the area was still considered to be at risk of further erosion and wave overtopping.

In the aftermath of the storm, the line had to be closed between Carlisle and Workington due to three landslides, while Network Rail staff also had to repair two flood sites along the track.

Tony Potts, chairman of CRUG, told the News & Star: "Rock armour is proven to be an effective defence against crashing waves and is already in place on other parts of the line. Improving the defences at Flimby is something that's welcomed.

"The line is a vital link to people in west Cumbria and hopefully the new defences will mean that there's less damage caused in future."

A report by Sara Brook, handling officer at Allerdale council, states: "The coastal railway is a strategic transport link for the county and the safeguarding of this transport link is therefore of high importance."

The report also points to a section of the Allerdale Local Plan, which supports efforts to improve the flood resilience of the district's infrastructure.

It continues: "As the only railway route through the borough, its safeguarding is considered to carry significant weight in the determination of the proposal."

The section of the track where the defence is to be installed is at St Helens Lane, to the south of Flimby. The rock armour will be placed on the area of grassland and scrub.

A supporting statement provided by Network Rail says: "The permanent solution is designed for the one in 200-year event. This is considered as the industry standard for new coastal defences designed for wave overtopping performance in the UK.

"Due to impulsive overtopping involving high velocities of water and shear forces, wave overtopping represents a serious risk to the integrity of the ballast and track.

"For these reasons, a 1:200 year event should be thought of as a minimum standard of protection against wave overtopping."