Star comment: Reducing car miles easier said than done

But for many people, this is easier said than done.

Even many busy towns are blighted by poor connectivity, with public transport failing to meet the needs of our communities.

Our rail services in particular have been in a shoddy state in recent years, but plans have been unveiled to change things for the better.

A new scheme would see hundreds of extra services launched and faster, more frequent trains travelling through the region.

This would have the added benefit of creating and safeguarding jobs, as well as helping the environment by getting people out of their cars and onto trains.

Of course, for all of this to happen then funding is needed – and plenty of it.

The Government sees a huge future in rail travel, and with a new body set to oversee our railways, the time is right to ensure that local schemes are given the investment that they need.

The phrase "build back better" is regularly banded around as part of the country's response to the pandemic.

If that is to happen on our railways, then many of the mistakes of the past will need to be addressed.

But it is not just underfunding that has plagued rail for decades in this country, it is poor management at both a political level and in terms of private enterprise.

If the Government is to make a success out of the biggest reform of our railways in a generation, then issues need to be sorted out at a local level as well as nationally.

In the Midlands a plan is in place that addresses many of the problems on our railways.

It will ensure that connectivity is improved, with faster and more frequent trains finally delivering a level of service the public deserves.

Now we need ministers to give these crucial schemes the support they need to get them off the drawing board.