In a speech to the Rail Magazine Conference on 14th March 2007, Rail Minster Douglas Alexander promised "in the High Level Output Specification this summer, we will specify that 1,000 new carriages should be targeted at the most congested routes to effectively tackle passenger demand." The HLOS sets out the Governments plans for the future of the rail network. The full text of the Ministers speech can be found here

c2c has said they would be delighted if they could get more carriages, however whilst 12 car trains can already run from Southend via Laindon to Fenchurch Street, Thurrock can at present only cope with 8 car trains, however its Thurrock route which has the most growth potential.

There is no guarantee these trains will be built, or if they are that any would come to Thurrock. However, after the debacle of the aborted December 2006 timetable, its fairly self evident that the only way services can be meaningfully increased via Thurrock, is by way of infrastructure improvement.

Whilst c2c have promised Thurrock rail users some improvements to services in the May 2007 timetable, the growth in housing in the West Thurrock, Purfleet & Rainham areas mean that sooner rather than later the Thurrock route will need 12 car trains, and the platforms lengthened accordingly.