The idea of a single track Stansted to Braintree railway link was put forward at the Examination in Public on transport issues of the Essex County Structure Plan last week.

The inquiry heard that a group of lawyers, draughtsmen, architects, planners and engineers have formed the Railway Development Society to prepare the £42 million railway scheme.

It would first have to be introduced under Government Transport Act procedures.

Funding would be sought through Europe, say the promoters. With the help of developers, the government, local authority and rail company sources, construction of the railway could be complete by 2005, they add.

David Bigg, representing the Railway Development Society, called for more emphasis on rail to be contained in the new county structure plan.

However Mr Tony Rivero of Railtrack believed that this year's agreement for the A120 Braintree-Stansted road improvement would leave a railway in parallel "dead in the water" as a commercial prospect.

But Paul Munson, Braintree district council planner, said he supported the plans to move the rail link on and hoped greater mention of rail as part of the integrated transport system would be contained in the eventual county plan.

Mr Peter Chappel, for the county council, said in the light of recent government policy changes a new Local Transport Programme would make greater reference to rail.

Mr Bigg said that development of a 5,000-home Stansted New Town based at Takeley could only succeed if it were on a rail link.

The proposed railway will use part of the old track bed from Braintree to Stansted and some new deviations. It would have a passing loop at Dunmow.

"We see it as a way of getting more Essex people working at Stansted and an alternative rail route to London,'' said Mr Bigg.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.