A scheme aimed to cut congestion on the A127 by linking bus services with commuter trains has been scrapped.

The Arterial Express was launched in May 1998 by the then Southend mayor Nora Goodman as a partnership between LTS Rail and First Thamesway buses.

The Arterial Express was aimed at commuters who did not live near a railway station, picking them up by luxury coach at Southend, Eastwood, Leigh and Rayleigh and dropping them off at West Horndon to continue their journey by train.

An LTS Rail spokeswoman said: "We believed it was a great product and fitted in well with the Government's integrated transport policy.

"However, we have been forced to withdraw the service because regrettably the uptake was so low it was no longer economically viable."

The spokeswoman said LTS Rail felt the initiative was extremely worthwhile but the public support "was just not there".

Councillor Chris Mallam (Lib Dem, Blenheim Ward), the member of Southend Council cabinet with responsibility for transportation and engineering, said that he would like to see a further development of bus links with Leigh station.

He said: "West Horndon was perhaps a bit too far to ask people to go. I think perhaps a shorter journey may be more attractive to the public.

"That is why I am particularly keen to improve links to the Leigh area.

"I would like to see some more effort to attract people to Leigh station where there is a bus service, but it is nothing like as useful as it could be."

Southend Council has been granted £2.3 million by the Government to pursue its integrated transport strategy for the town during the next year.

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