Two MPs are now backing the fight by rail bosses to reopen the Ongar to Epping line amid a growing crisis over the project's future.

The new initiative comes as Epping Ongar Railway chairman Bill Camplisson admitted: "We have a major problem."

And Brentwood and Ongar Tory MP Eric Pickles , who with his Epping colleague Eleanor Laing is putting pressure on the government, has accused London Underground of not wanting the axed railway to run at all.

Uncertainty was heightened when Stuart Newing-Davis, the company's commercial and operations manager, dampened speculation that a limited service would resume next week.

But the main hitch centres on the estimated £500,000 cost of linking the line with the underground station at Epping.

Mr Camplisson said: "We still haven't found a way of making that happen and for the first time I feel that I am not in control of the situation. It's a dilemma and a bit depressing.

"The cost of linking the two railways has shocked us.

"It involves building a new island platform at Epping to accommodate both services. It's at a very narrow part of the track and poses a major civil engineering problem."

Mr Camplisson, who says he has spent a total of £1.5million buying and redeveloping the line, feels that London Underground should meet the cost.

He said: "We paid them money for the line and removed a financial drain."

The company was given an October 1 deadline for the resumption of a commuter service when the line was sold nearly two years ago.

Bosses concede that they are concerned about meeting the deadline.

Mr Pickles and Ms Laing, who also represents North Weald, plan to take up the case with Transport Minister Keith Hill and, ultimately, deputy premier John Prescott.

Eric Pickles said: "London Underground closed the line and we fought them on that.

"Now they're just not interested in its reopening but it's vital that it does."

Hopes of running trains from Ongar to Coopersale and back depend on safety approval from the railway inspectorate.

Mr Newing-Davis said that optimistic comments he made about this service starting on April 8 "may have been taken a little too bullishly."

He added: "There are still a number of bureaucratic loose ends to tie up and unfortunately it will not be possible for the railway to open to the public at Easter. We will, however, commence operations just as soon as we are legally able."

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