Commuters need to see action rather than words to improve the Braintree branch line, a rail campaigner has said.

James Cleverly, MP for Braintree, has called a public meeting which will give users of the line an opportunity to raise concerns with representatives of Greater Anglia and Network Rail in person.

However David Bigg, chairman of the Witham and Braintree Rail Users Association, said commuters needed to see concrete progress on measures to improve the line - such as the fabled Cressing Loop.

He said: “I don’t think the public meeting will achieve anything because everyone already knows what the problems are on the Braintree line.

“The trick is doing something about it. Short term the hope is the Cressing Loop can be considered to improve capacity.

"I understand it is an option under consideration, provided our MPs back it and work together.”

Mr Bigg said he would be meeting with Paul Oxley, stakeholder manager with Greater Anglia, to discuss how service for all rail travellers in the district can be improved.

He said: “We have to have practical solutions and the Cressing Loop is one of those.

"We see it as a forerunner to the eventual extension of the line from Braintree to Stansted.

“I will explore with him the possibility of running fast trains direct to Braintree which would allow more trains to run on the line.

“Hopefully with the completion of Crossrail this will give us extra capacity at Liverpool Street meaning we could have more trains for Braintree.”

The public meeting takes place at Braintree Town Hall, in Market Place, on Friday, April 6, from 6.45pm.

To book a place, visit http://bit.ly/2EAJWRu.