It is vital to build a new railway station off the Cressing Road if rail commuters are to be able to park in Witham, believes the chairman of the Witham and Braintree Rail Users Association

He predicts that the number of commuters is expected to rise from 9,000 to 13,000 in the next 10 years.

The Association is proposing a £1.5m scheme as part of a plan to save the town from gridlock in the next decade.

Chairman David Bigg said: "When we meet with the Strategic Rail Authority on Oct 22 we will seek the release of emergency funds to create a temporary park for 200 cars on a site off Cut Throat Lane. The land would also facilite through running between Colchester and Cambridge when the Stansted link is built."

Most important would be a new station, to be called Witham North, on farmland next to the Braintree to Witham railway line just north of the Cherry Tree public house in Cressing Road.

"It is a logical site for a park and ride station, and could be built in conjunction with the proposed loop at Cressing, which will double capacity on that branch line."

Because of the failure of Railtrack, the bulk of the money would have to come from the £28bn of Government money the Strategic Rail Authority had available to spend over the next 10 years, he said.

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