The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) is a voluntary membership based association: https://brtarail.com/become-a-member/
Our membership isd open to all and we welcome people to join and help advocate for the causes we believe in. Principally, we want the following:
1. The government to restore the 'Restore Your Railway' fund and procedure to make local rail reopenings of local railways for passenger and possible freight, more amenable, do-able and help check and balance growing congestion, pollution from too much traffic, not enough rail choices and capacity issues on the network.
2. We want the government to inform a nationwide programme of local rail reopenings. The longer they postpone it and the switch of money from new roads to new local-based rail links, the better for the nation and us all.
3. We are not asking for new money, we know it is tight, but a switch of government priorities which puts people, places, land use, the environment and modal choices to roads at the heart of governmental departments and tiers of governing and planning at all levels. The push for growth without protecting former routes and new routes is catastrophic as it locks in dysfunction, overcrowding and polluting congestion from day one. This must stop, we are not against growth, we want it on a sustainable platform.
In Essex, we wish for support for:
1. Extend the rail link into Stansted eastwards to link with Colchester and/or Braintree to reunited by rail east and west Essex. A new Parkway Station for Great Dunmow could be added. It would ease congestion on the A120 for example and boost existing public transport networks. Stansted is due to grow, but no requirement to invest in extending the railway nor protecting a corridor for a rail eastwards have been set aside amidst huge housing developments bereft of rail access.
2. The Lower Thames Crossing is £11 billion, at a time for many other calls, the government is saying £no money" including local rail reopening agendas. It will link Kent and Essex by road, we have called for it to be a rail-based provision instead, enabling more freight and passenger movements by rail, cutting congestion, pollution and waste. Norwich-Ipswich-Colchester-CXhelmsford-Kent and the Channel Tunnel and vice versa sustainable visitorship, footfall and spend could be the real oyster of gain, instead areas will be blighted by congestion, delay and loss of open spaces.
3. A rail link to Maldon is tabled, but some believe an alternative route is possible. We wish to see a study on it and make the case to add to the list of nationwide local links by rail which could make a huge difference to inward footfall and spend to the resort, and easier commuting with less drive time going out.
BRTA
Essex Forum (Witham) Saturday 7th November 2026 starting 1pm food
and 2pm business at the Batesford Court, 100-102 Newland Street, Witham, Essex,
CM8 1AH 01376-504080 Convenor Simon Barber: admin@brtarail.com 020-8940-4399 and 07522-374740
Agenda.
1.
Appointment of a chairperson
2.
Appointment of a note taker
3.
Introduction to BRTA (3 sentences)
4.
Sign the attendance List
5.
Apologies for absence
6.
Stansted Airport Expansion (to Braintree)
7.
Lower Thames River Crossing
8.
Maldon Branch reopening – what route, pooling
resources for a study and build the case.
9.
East-West Rail including Stansted-Braintree/Colchester?
10.
Cambridge-Haverhill: Nice idea, is it feasible, demand may
be overwhelming, but the practicalities and onwards to Colchester? Direct
freight that way to East-West Rail instead of London?
11.
LT Central Line to Harlow? Does it need a study?
12.
Existing Rail/Buses issues and services – adequate or
discrepancies?
13.
Any Other Business
14.
Day, Date and Time for next BRTA Forum
at Witham for Essex?
Notes: BRTA is only as good as a growing,
contributory and reliable participatory membership informs – please join/donate
today! https://brtarail.com/become-a-member/
~ Get Essex sustainably moving minus the
emissions roads bring! ~
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