PLANS have emerged to bring a £600 million privately funded tram system linking Grays to north Kent.

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.

Financial accountant Gordon Pratt is behind the idea, his experience has seen him work 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.

It comes as plans with London Paramount on the horizon, and the controversial new Lower Thames Crossing in the pipeline as more options to link Essex and north Kent are being tabled.

There is currently a bus service between Bluewater and Lakeside, as well as the ferry between Gravesend and Tilbury.

However their combined usage is believed to only relieve 1 per cent of the total traffic using the Dartford Crossing.