A CAMPAIGN group is lobbying for a railway line which closed down to be rebuilt and extended to Stansted Airport as part of a Government review.

Chairman of the Witham and Braintree Rail Users Association David Bigg said the group is writing to transport secretary Chris Grayling for a new track to be built directly from Witham to Stansted Airport.

He said: “We would have to replace and relocate the entire route for this to happen, as the old routes have been built on since, and put in a loop for extra capacity.”

“This achieves two things.

“Firstly, it gives an alternative route between Colchester, Witham and London when things go wrong when an alternative service is not there.

“The airport’s road network cannot cope and by doing this, you create capacity.

“Secondly, of course, this would open up a direct route, and in turn, this would create jobs and opportunity for the area.”

The present Witham train goes to London Liverpool Street through Hatfield Peverel through Chelmsford, Shenfield and Romford.

The line also travels through Braintree and Colchester up to Ipswich.

The old line, which closed around the 1950s, ran from Braintree to Bishops Stortford via Dunmow.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling said last week he wanted to open up new routes to encourage houses to be built, and to boost the economy.

Under the Dr Beeching review in the 1960s, railway lines were shut down to save money.

Mr Grayling is inviting proposals to reopen lines which were closed down.

Braintree councillor Ronald Ramage expressed support for the project in a Tweet.

Mr Ramage wrote: “We need to open the line between Witham & Stansted mainly because of the expansion of Stansted airport.

“This is along with the proposed Gardens Villages, as well as expansion of businesses in the Braintree District.”

There are no plans for Network Rail or Greater Anglia to change or develop the line.