Wickford railway station in Essex to be rebuilt after demolition

Mark Francois, left, said Huw Merriman had confirmed to him that the government would fund the station transformation

Funding has been secured to rebuild a railway station demolished as part of a long-awaited project.

Plans were first unveiled to transform Wickford station, in Essex, in 2020 but were derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois said the Department for Transport (DfT) have now agreed to fund the £4m scheme, with work to begin later this year.

"I am delighted we now have official confirmation that the station will be rebuilt," said the Tory MP.

Mr Francois said the next step was for train operator Greater Anglia to go out to tender for a builder to undertake the project.

Work would begin "within the next few months", with completion during the financial year starting April 2025.

The new station will have longer platforms to accommodate bigger trains, plans show

Previous plans approved by Basildon Council showed the existing station would be replaced with a bigger building and longer platforms after its demolition, which has already taken place.

It was hoped there would be a new ticket office, upgraded waiting hall and new toilet facilities.

"I look forward to discussing the final details of the project with Jamie Burles, the managing director of Abellio Greater Anglia, in my Westminster office later this week," Mr Francois added.

Maryam Yaqub, a Labour councillor at Basildon Council, said it had taken "far too long" for the project to get started.

"The people of Wickford have endured a prolonged wait for this essential investment and they deserve better," she added.