WREXHAM'S MP says plans to improve the region's transport infrastructure, including the train service that operates to Bidston, was vital in securing the continued growth of the region.

Ian Lucas said he has spent the last 16/17 years voicing his support for a spine that would run all the way from Wrexham into Liverpool city centre, through Deeside Industrial Park, which is one of the largest estates of its kind in the UK.

Mr Lucas said: "I would really like to see a proper commuter network based on this spine, and not just a more regular rail service, but also a linked into bus network.

"I think the buses in North East Wales are terrible. I was brought up in an area where my parents never had a car, so I travelled everywhere by bus and I couldn't drive until I was 25.

"When I moved to this area a very long time ago, one of the first things I noticed was how bad the bus network was.

"So what we need to do is develop all of that and Transport for Wales have come along and they're much more receptive to this sort of idea."

Mr Lucas praised the introduction of the new rail link between Wrexham and Liverpool, with trains operating along the re-opened Halton curve section of track since May, as a good statement, but that he hoped much more would be done and how there was a "massive opportunity" to do so.

He added: "I also want to press for a half hourly train service between Wrexham and Chester, for similar reasons, and linking up with the airports, which is very important.

"There is a common theme of trying to improve our transport network because our roads are under massive strain, both south of Wrexham and up towards the Posthouse roundabout.

Unless we do something about the way we travel around our cross-border economy area then we're going to have continuing problems. I remember once when I was on a door knock around Wrexham, a man told me how he had left a job on Deeside Industrial Park and taken one in Wrexham that paid less because he simply couldn't get there to go to work.

"Everyone recognises that it's got great potential, and these things are not easy to make happen, but we need to keep at them and remain resilient about it."

Mr Lucas went on to say that Wrexham and its surrounding area also has a huge amount to offer visitors, from the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal World Heritage site to the many festivals and events that take place throughout the year, but the current transport links needed to be better in order to be able to fully exploit its clear tourism draws.

He said: "People keep talking about us draining stuff into Liverpool, but we've got a huge amount to offer here, including some beautiful countryside and that's a big part of the attraction around here."

The MP's comments echo those of Liverpool City Councillor Liam Robinson, who serving as the Transport Portfolio holder for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, recently said that the Wrexham to Bidston line was "the forgotten child of the railway network" and called for plans for it to be improved and extended into the centre of the city.

Mr Lucas added: "I've known Liam and worked with him on this for many years, and he just gets it, as does Ken Skates, who is a massive ally for us in all of this because he understands the area and how we work."