IT’S been a super Easter recess - a visit to HMS Neptune at Faslane, as part of my Armed Forces commitment, a well-supported Saturday Chataway in Parton, followed by a very satisfying community clean-up, enabled by Copeland Borough Council, elected members and residents of Parton - huge thanks to everyone who made it possible.

The highlight was seeing my first-ever lambs being born, close-up and personal, during a visit to Strudda Bank Farm near Calder Bridge. Each month I’ll be visiting a local farm, I’m already learning about struggles with the Rural Payment Agency, the lack of information post-Brexit, and most importantly the need for the next generation of land managers and food producers to be encouraged and supported to carry on the exceptional work of their parents and ancestors. If you have a farm, and would like to raise concerns or issues, please do get in touch with me.

It was an incredible personal privilege to join HRH the Prince of Wales in Crow Park, Keswick, to unveil the official UNESCO World Heritage Site plaque last month – a designation recognising not just our landscape but also the farmed, cultural heritage shaped by industry for generations. It was also a celebration of the work of many people, especially our farming community who continue to do so much for our vital tourism industry.

To accompany our brand new status, news of additional trains on Cumbria’s Coastal Line means our World Heritage Site just became far more accessible. After learning that the Sunday service might have been compromised as challenges with sufficient rolling stock due to delays elsewhere became known, I arranged an urgent meeting with transport secretary Chris Grayling to express the vital need for this service. A few weeks on, I am delighted with the recent confirmation of the service running between Carlisle and Barrow every Sunday from May 20 - the first time in nearly 40 years, along with additional evening trains.

Thanks to the determination of Sharon Keith and the committed staff at Northern Rail, Network Rail and many others including the hard work and commitment from the Copeland Rail User Group, we can now look forward to this much-needed service which will transform our visitor economy, enable students to return at weekends and generally support both the needs of business and our community.

In addition, Northern Rail has recently added to its current stock with the introduction of a modern diesel Class 68 locomotive, offering passengers increased reliability. The lack of reliability on the line has caused significant inconvenience to both residents and visitors; much of this has been due to the Class 37 locomotive’s unsuitability to our Cumbrian topography and stop-start nature of our service and of course its old age.

I’ll also be pleased to see an end to the ‘nodding donkey’ Pacer train, which, I have been assured by the transport secretary, 'will be in the scrapyard' in the next few weeks as part of government plans to modernise the country’s railways by 2020. This is much-needed progress on our vital railway. Of course our work is not done yet, but these are encouraging steps along the journey.