Proposals for a £600 million privately funded tram system linking north Kent with Essex have received cross-party support. Tom Acres reports on a scheme which could drastically cut traffic on the region’s roads.

With London Paramount and Ebbsfleet Garden City on the horizon but the Lower Thames Crossing at least a decade away, proposals have been drawn up for a new public transport system to connect north Kent and Essex.

People hoping to get across the Thames without the use of a car must use either the X80 bus service between Bluewater and Lakeside or the ferry between Gravesend and Tilbury, which combined make up around 1% of the total traffic using the Dartford Crossing.

The £600 million KenEx Thames Transit is designed to relieve pressure on the often congested crossing, combat air pollution, and boost the economy on both sides of the river.

It is the brainchild of financial accountant Gordon Pratt, who previously worked with the London and Southern Counties Railway Consortium to come up with Brighton Main Line Two, a planned second railway connecting Brighton with the capital.

He said: “When London Paramount was proposed, it was clear there would be serious transport issues for people in north Kent, some of which already exist.

“Over in Essex it’s much the same. From Grays you can go east, west and north via train, but you can’t go south. With London Paramount and Ebbsfleet, it made sense to look at an efficient crossing solution.

“KenEx Thames Transit is a tram line running under the Thames from Grays, past Northfleet, through the centre of Ebbsfleet Garden City, and once you change, Bluewater and London Paramount are obvious destinations.”

Mr Pratt has teamed up with transport campaigner James Willis, who is standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Gravesham in next month’s general election, to push the scheme forward.

They have spoken to the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and Thurrock Council about the idea and are hoping to have a full feasibility study ready to go later this year.

Mr Pratt believes KenEx Thames Transit would take about 10% of the traffic away from the Dartford Crossing, which falls just short of the 14% Highways England believes the Lower Thames Crossing will divert.

He said: “By providing a public transport link you release suppressed demand from people who don’t have access to a car but who want to do the journey.

“There would be a lot of journeys for people who might have a car but at times might decide that a tram would be a better for them, for example if the traffic is bad.

"We also feel that there would be people in Northfleet, for example, who would be willing to jump on the tram and then change at Ebbsfleet to get into London.

“I think we can generate good local momentum, but London Paramount is what makes this such an overwhelmingly positive possibility that I think we can make it happen.”

KenEx Thames Transit would carry an estimated 58 million journeys to Bluewater each year – 36 million to London Paramount, 53 million to Lakeside, and 2.5 million to Ebbsfleet International.

An interchange would be required for people heading to London Paramount to avoid the issue of them using Bluewater for free parking and then heading to the theme park from there.

James Willis is publicising the KenEx Thames Transit idea through his election campaign alongside fellow Liberal Democrat Simon Beard, who is standing as the party’s candidate in Dartford.

Both say that transport and air pollution are major issues for people on the doorstep and have met for public rallies at both the X80 bus stop at Bluewater and Gravesend Town Pier, where people can catch the ferry to Tilbury.

Mr Willis, who is standing in Gravesham in the general election having stood in Dartford in 2010, said: “Economically this would be a real driver for Gravesend. The town centre is a really good heritage area with lots of shops that struggle due to footfall.

“If the tram came by the riverside here, it wouldn’t just be a boost for places like Bluewater but also a boost for Gravesend.

“I am really bothered that Gravesend benefits from things like this. We need access to good quality transport and links to cross the Thames.

“This is not a nimby campaign against a road in people’s back yards. It is about the very principle that our government should not be getting away with building a road without considering sustainable alternatives at all.

“We need more options and cleaner air, not a toxic triangle around north Kent and Essex adding to the local area’s record-breaking air pollution.”

Labour and the Green Party have also backed the KenEx Thames Transit idea.

Mandy Garford, Labour’s parlimentary candidate in Gravesham, and Green Party candidate Marna Gilligan both attended a rally at Gravesend Town Pier last week, as did campaigners from Essex.

They took the ferry to Tilbury and back again to protest against the lack of alternatives.

Ms Gilligan said: “I was delighted to join with other local parties and activists to highlight this innovative and imaginative solution to congestion at Dartford.

“We need more bright ideas like this, instead of unsustainable and short sighted road building.

“The proposed Lower Thames Crossing will increase the country’s traffic by at least 55,000 vehicles a day, increasing local pollution inevitably lead to more deaths in Gravesham.

“Gravesham Green Party is campaigning against any new crossing in favour of sustainable transport options. We urge local residents to stand up and demand real action on air pollution.”