ANY improvement to local public transport services is to be welcomed.

Helping more rural areas keep connected with the big towns and cities, where so much business, employment and facilities are to be found, is of great benefit to people who live in these areas. Communication is increasingly vital in everyday life, and something as simple as free Wi-fi on local trains is not only of use to busy commuters whose working day starts and ends outside of office hours, but also an added attraction for the many visitors who head into the Ilkley area.

Staying connected is not simply about communication, however. The actual transport links, be they the roads or public services such as buses and trains, are also vital. The Ilkley area is lucky to have regular train services to a major station in Leeds, with connections all over the country.

But as has been said time and time again, the capacity of the local rail network needs to be expanded, to cope with current demand - let alone the expected demand in years to come. Given the likelihood of thousands of new homes arriving in Wharfedale, carriages are going to get increasingly packed. Difficulties finding places to park anywhere the stations are one obvious sign that the network is bursting at the seams. Efforts still need to be made to increase capacity further.