RAIL campaigners have included new stations closer to Essex University and north Clacton in their wishlist to the government.

Essex Rail Users’ Federation also wants the old line between Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea to be reinstated.

It made the long-term requests, which will cost more than £10million, in a response to the Department for Transport’s East Anglia Rail Franchise Consultation.

The DfT will award a new franchise, lasting up to 12 years, to run the region’s rails from October 2016.

Derek Monnery, rail users’ federation chairman, said: “The university is quite isolated at the moment. It would be a very popular station if it could be built.

“The nearest station, Hythe, is poorly located and not many trains stop there.”

Mr Monnery said the best location would be close to the B&Q store in Lightship Way, which has paths to the university campus in Wivenhoe.

The cost of building a new station is about £5million, but Mr Monnery said it would cost an extra £1million because an electricity sub-statation would have to be relocated.

The Federation has also recommended building a station at Gorse Lane, in Great Clacton, to serve residents, industrial estates and the Clacton Factory Shopping Village.

Mr Monnery said its location could be anywhere along the quater-mile section of line.

He said: “I have talked to Tendring Council. It sees it as a viable option with all the building that has been going on around there.”

The reinstatement of the former railway line between Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea would be more straightforward, said Mr Monnery.

He said: “The line is still there. It has never been built on and would certainly relieve traffic coming into Brightlingsea, which has grown enormously and the road there is one way in, one way out.

“It would be cheaper than trying to build a new road.”

Other recommendations in the response document include all Essex stations having at least a halfh o u r l y s e r v i c e a n d r e f u r - bishment of the existing rolling stock.

Management of disruption should focus on getting passengers to their destinations, rather than getting trains running to timetable.

The maximum line speed should be increased to 110mph and the line between Shenfield and Colchester should be upgraded to four tracks wherever possible.

The current franchise holder for our region’s rails is Abellio.

Essex Rail Users’ Federation’s requests will form a “key reference document” for the franchise bidders, due to be published this summer.

The new franchise will begin in October 2016.