A leading railway enthusiast has issued "a call to arms" to clear the holdup over the controversial Ongar to Epping line.

"It's time to bang heads together and find a way of getting trains running again," said John Glover, chairman of Ongar Railway Preservation Society, which 18 months ago lost the battle to resume the axed service.

Mr Glover has written to Tory MPs Eric Pickles and Eleanor Laing, county and district civic chiefs as well as local councils in Ongar, North Weald and Epping.

His proposal, headed "Can we all join as one...?", was being discussed by senior Epping Forest officers and is due to be outlined to members of Ongar Parish Council tonight.

In it, he says he is "writing wholeheartedly in the long-term interest of the railway, whoever may be the owner" and appears to be offering help to ORPS's bitter rivals, Epping-Ongar Railway.

The line's owners, who have until October 1 to launch a service, are having difficulty integrating their track with the Central Line terminus at Epping.

Waste disposal company boss Mr Glover, who lives in Toot Hill, suggests rerouting the lines into a part of the car park so that an island platform is formed to take up and down Tube trains. The Ongar service, operated with diesel units, would then run into the old Platform 1.

He warns that now is the time to act because London Underground this year plans to refurbish the station, platforms and booking office and has appointed contractors.

Mr Glover says: "What is needed is to bring all parties together so that the necessary funding can be provided to make the station fit for the Central Line and the Epping to Ongar railway."

He calls on the line's owners, the Underground, the Government and local councils to contribute to the cost. ORPS would also put up cash.

"Excuses and whimpering rhetoric cannot,'' he says, "replace hard cash which is naturally needed to build a railway fit for a further century of service. I feel confident that any reasonable sum can be raised."

Mr Glover also calls on Epping Forest chairman Cllr Stan Goodwin and chief executive John Burgess ''to immediately co-ordinate the necessary effort to achieve success."

Already, Mr Pickles has told him: "I think your ideas are very sensible." And respected Ongar councillor Ron Barnes wrote: "I'm thrilled with the correspondence. I feel working together is the very best way to get the rail link going again."

But Epping-Ongar Railway boss Bill Camplisson was instantly dismissive."This is extremely complicated and not something that can be written on the back of an envelope by amateurs," he said. "Mr Glover should stick to waste disposal and leave the professionals to sort out the interchange."

He claimed Mr Glover's proposal would cost millions and would take an unacceptable section of the car park.

Mr Camplisson says he is working closely with Underground boss Derek Smith and engineers on solving the problem.

Asked if the line would reopen by the October deadline, he said: "It's imperative that it does, otherwise fingers will be pointed at us but apart from the Epping interchange we're ready to roll."

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