Metro Mayors Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham set out proposals for a high-speed rail line linking Liverpool and Manchester which they claim would boost the economy by £90bn. Tony McDonough reports
Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham are urging the Government to commit to start building a new high-speed rail line between Liverpool and Manchester by the early 2030s.
On Wednesday the Metro Mayors made their case for the new line which they claim could boost the North West economy by £90bn. They also say they want to “help reshape how major infrastructure is delivered in the UK”.
A new report outlines the case for the line, which would run from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Piccadilly, with stops at a new Liverpool Gateway station, Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport.
It estimates that construction of the railway could deliver a £15bn boost to the economy and create 22,000 jobs. More than half a million extra people would be brought within 30 minutes of Liverpool and Manchester city centres.
Mr Rotheram said: “Two centuries ago, the Liverpool-Manchester Railway changed the world – kickstarting the railway age and powering a revolution in trade, travel and opportunity.
“Today, we have the chance to do it again. Our new line forms part of a wider vision to unlock £90bn of economic growth, and 500,000 new homes – the kind of transformation our region, and our country, desperately needs.
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“There’s hardly a person in the North who hasn’t felt the frustration of slow, unreliable journeys or missed out on things because of creaking, outdated infrastructure.
“For them, this is far more than just building a new railway – it’s about opening the doors to opportunity. Connecting people to better jobs, unlocking new homes, and making it easier to enjoy everything our region has to offer.”
The mayors argue that a firm commitment from the Labour Government now would allow construction to begin in the early 2030s – giving certainty to investors and helping retain the skilled workforce built up through the delivery of HS2.
Andy Burnham added: “A new Liverpool-Manchester Railway would be shorter than both London’s Elizabeth line and East West Rail connecting Oxford and Cambridge, but would punch well above its weight in both growing the UK’s economy and better connecting our high-growth sectors.
“For too long, such major infrastructure projects in the UK have been delivered in a top-down way. We want to work hand-in-hand with the government to plan and deliver this railway from the ground up.”
Click here to download the full report
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