Rail watchdog considers new Stansted link
19.03.09
A commuter watchdog is revisiting proposals for a train link between Braintree and Stansted Airport. Witham and Braintree Rail Users Association will finance research into a possible route and its feasibility, with the hope of gaining European money to pay for the railway line, which would be a key international transport link.
The User Group's Chairman, David Bigg, said: ‘With the European Parliament elections due in June, there might be European money available for the project. We are going to be totally realistic. We don’t visualise a line opening until 2020 because it will take that amount of time to re-research a route.’
The group has previously lobbied for the link, based on reopening the old Braintree to Bishops Stortford line, which closed in the 1960s. But Mr Bigg said that is not practical and a new route must be found.
He said: ‘If Stansted was to get a second runway, then we think it is absolutely vital. We can’t visualise Stansted having a second runway without an east-west link.’
The group thinks it will cost around £130million to build the line, with stations at Rayne and Takeley. In the meantime, they would like an express bus between Witham, Braintree and Stansted, preferably running 24 hours a day.
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