WORK costing £2.9m will take place next year to extend Grays railway station.

In its latest round of spending plans for the region, Network Rail has announced the extension of the station's bay platform in summer 2008.

The work will allow eight carriage trains to use the platform but there is no news yet of the promised extension along the line to allow 12 carriage trains to run the length of the loop, which includes stations at Stanford-le-Hope, East Tilbury, Tilbury, Grays, Chafford Hundred, South Ockendon and Purfleet.

Nor was there any mention of plans to improve borough stations, including Tilbury where there has been a long-running dispute over the lack of a disabled crossing.

Overall Network Rail will spend £150m in its Anglia region, part of a £2.6bn national spend.

Unveiling the plans, Network Rail's Chief Executive, John Armitt, said: "The railway is thriving. Demand for rail continues to grow and today's news outlines Network Rail's response to those demands.

"Three million people use the railways each day, more than at any time in the past 60 years, and we're not standing still waiting for the big infrastructure projects to be delivered. We are doing something about it now by moving forward with hundreds of small schemes dotted around the country that will add capacity and ease crowding. "