The government has announced plans for a new railway between Manchester and Liverpool.
The government said its plans will boost economic potential and living standards in the north, with more reliable and more frequent trains serving major cities, adding up to £40 billion a year to the economy.
The first phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail will concentrate on electrification between Leeds and Sheffield, York and Bradford by the 2030s. In the north east, there will be work on the business case for the Leamside Line.
The second phase will include three new stations at Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington Bank Quay low level, while the third will be about improving the railway between Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds, as well as exploring options for Manchester to Bradford.
In the longer term, the government is talking about a new line between Birmingham and Manchester. Although it says ‘it will not be a revival of HS2’, its ‘long term objective’ is a line between the West Midlands and the North West, and land acquired for Phase 2 of HS2 between Birmingham and Crewe will be safeguarded rather than sold.
A “funding cap” of £45 billion will be set for the programme and £1.1 billion over the Spending Review period is the first stage of this, allowing development and design work to progress and enabling the creation of a detailed plan for building the project.
The government will launch a feasibility study, working with local partners on what can be built. This will be an ‘incremental programme’, with the Northern Growth Corridor given priority, but land already purchased for HS2 between the West Midlands and Crewe will be ‘retained in the meantime’.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: ‘For too long, the North has been held back by underinvestment and years of dither and delay – but that ends now.
‘This new era of investment will reignite the economy across Liverpool and Manchester, helping their iconic sport and cultural industries to thrive, and cementing Manchester Airport as the gateway to the north.
‘This exciting new line will not only speed up journeys, it will open up new jobs and homes for people, making a real difference to millions of lives.’
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