It is only when you rely on something that you realise how important it is.

A large number of people rely on the train service to get into Manchester and back again.

But you may well have noted that the service is old and unreliable.

It is no wonder the local council have met with train operators to highlight how the service is affecting countless people from across the county.

I had recently travelled on the service and found it to be exactly the same as it was 30 years ago.

The only thing that has really changed is that we are able to book online and find out if the train has been delayed or cancelled on our smartphones.

Take nothing away from the staff, as with all public services they have to maintain what is failing infrastructure. They are having to make do.

In fact, you only have to applaud their efforts in keeping these old vehicles going for so long.

I recently spoke to one man from India who told me the trains were more reliable in his country than in the Northwest. Years ago I would have laughed at him.

But would this be allowed to happen in London? A similar service in and around Greater London would certainly not be so poor.

Would a 40-minute journey into the city centre be so unreliable?

The north-south is no more evident than in our public services. You go into London and it certainly is a different world.

I guess someone else might even compare London to other countries and say it doesn’t even match.

It is no wonder that if I was a commuter I would think twice about using the train to get into Manchester as I may not get there on time.

Then, we have these ridiculous attempts to stop people driving cars into Manchester. 

There is nothing more infuriating than seeing a whole queue of cars sat in one lane past Salford heading into the city whilst, a monitored bus lane lies empty. This at past the rush hour and late into the evening.

Somebody thought of this and thought it was a good idea at the time.

Worse still even after all this time is that there are people who think it still is.