Replacing trains between Braintree and Witham with tram or bus services will not help long-suffering commuters in the short term, a rail users’ group has said.

The proposal is just one of several options being discussed to improve the public transport network in the district in conjunction with the development of the North Essex Garden Communities.

According to the issues and options consultation document, to improve transport links for the West of Braintree garden community at Andrewsfield Airfield, which could see more than 9,000 homes built, a “rapid transit system” could operate on railway line between the two stations.

It could work in a similar way to the “guided busway” which was introduced in Cambridge in 2011.

David Bigg, chairman of the Witham and Braintree Rail Users’ Association, said it was not the first time the idea had been mooted.

He said: “There needs to be a detailed study, it could work but it is will take a lot of time and money.

“I think it is worth a look. We know it works in other parts of the country such as Cambridge, but it has not been tried in rural locations like this.

“We would not oppose it but we would need to know where the money was going to come from and what the timescale was.”

Mr Bigg said improvements were needed to the line, but a rapid transport system was not necessarily the best answer to the problems.

He said: “The Braintree line has a bad reputation because it is the first to get the chop if there are problems elsewhere.

“We will continue to press for the case for the Cressing Loop because we believe that will alleviate some of the pressure in the shorter term.

“If that could be started soon it could be in place by 2022 for when the council estimates work on the garden communities will begin.”

Lynette Bowers-Flint, Braintree councillor responsible for planning and housing, said: “The great thing about creating garden communities in our districts is that it will give us the chance to look at the some innovative and exciting modern modes of transport that people might use in the future.

“One of many ideas is that perhaps sometime in the future the existing rail corridors between Witham and Braintree would better serve residents with a tram or rapid bus system, but I stress that this is just one of many ideas and by no means something that will definitely happen plus it could also be in addition to what is already in place.”

Colchester Council said the councils are committed to making “huge investment” into the public transport network across the Braintree, Colchester and Tendring districts.

A Greater Anglia spokesman said: “We have been involved with this consultation and will continue to work with relevant parties.

“We have already added 100,000 seats a week by leasing extra trains and this will be further boosted when we replace all of our existing trains with brand new trains which will be longer and have more seats.

“Decisions about the wider public transport infrastructure, such as replacing existing rail corridors with other forms of transport, would be made by the Department for Transport.”