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A new railway connecting Liverpool and Manchester could kickstart a £90bn economic transformation across the North West, and help reshape how major infrastructure is delivered in the UK.

Regional leaders are today setting out proposals for a new:- Liverpool - Manchester Railway that would deliver jobs, growth, and regeneration across the North West, while offering a new, more effective model for building big projects: led locally, delivered faster, and designed around communities.

Mayors Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham, alongside former Rail Minister Huw Merriman, civic and business leaders from across the North West, are urging the UK Government to work in partnership on the plans. A firm commitment now, they argue, 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.

A report published today outlines the case for the new 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.

But, the impact goes far beyond the route itself and construction benefits. The railway would be one component of the Northern Arc; an emerging economic corridor stretching from the:- Mersey to the Pennines and beyond. Recent analysis by Metro Dynamics suggests that, as part the Arc, securing the growth trajectory of:- Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Warrington and Liverpool City Region area could add:- £90bn in cumulative GVA to the UK economy by:- 2040, and double the size of the Region's economy in less than:- 30 years.

Despite being shorter than either the:- Elizabeth Line or East - West Rail, the proposed line would punch well above its weight; freeing up local rail capacity, slashing journey times, and bringing more than half a million extra people within:- 30 minutes of both:- Liverpool and Manchester City Centres.

The report also outlines a fresh approach to infrastructure delivery, rooted in local knowledge, supported by private investment, and shaped by the latest technology. It draws lessons from past national schemes and proposes a locally led model that avoids delays and delivers better value for money.

Huw Merriman chairs the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board; an expert board advising on how best to deliver the project. Together, they are calling for the line to feature in the Government's upcoming 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, and for ministers to back such a new collaborative model for delivery.

The plans include 5 new:- 'growth zones' around each of the Stations:- Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Gateway, Warrington Bank Quay, Manchester Airport, and Manchester Piccadilly; designed to support:- new homes, jobs, and regeneration ahead of the railway’s arrival. Together, the zones could unlock up to 500,000 homes and tens of thousands of jobs along the railway corridor.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "2 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. 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, from concerts and football to family and friends. We're putting forward a serious, deliverable plan that does things differently; developing plans at a regional level instead of a top-down approach. Not cap in hand, but shoulder to shoulder with the Government. We're offering a new way of doing things: faster, fairer, and better value. With the right backing, we can get spades in the ground in the early 2030s and deliver the world class railway we deserve."

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, added:- "Just over 200 years ago, the world’s first passenger railway was built to connect Liverpool and Manchester, transforming the nation’s fortunes for centuries. But Victorian infrastructure is now acting as a brake on growth. 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, enabling us to maintain our growth momentum for Greater Manchester. A new, locally led delivery model will mean we can build our pipeline of regeneration, new homes, skilled jobs, and green growth around the rail line with real certainty."

Huw Merriman, Chair of the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board, said:- "The Government must invest in infrastructure to achieve its number one priority of growing the UK economy. With years of concentration in the South, there needs to be a fair balance of where that's targeted, and the time is ripe to rebalance the nation. The North West is growing and will grow faster with transport infrastructure connecting people to new homes, jobs, and skills to equip them for life. The Liverpool-Manchester Railway is a credible and convincing project that will make the areas benefiting from the line and around the stations a highly desirable place to live, invest, and do business. Certainty on its delivery will be critical for both the North West's and UK's growth trajectory. Lessons must be learnt from past projects, including:- HS2, and a new locally led model will be proof of devolution in action. The North West is unique in that we have mayors, civic and business leaders standing shoulder to shoulder, ready to make this railway happen. Working together with Government, they can tackle the challenges that have come with such infrastructure delivery in the past."

The previous Government committed £17bn to the:- Liverpool - Manchester line following the cancellation of HS2's Northern leg. The project's inclusion in the High Speed Rail Bill was subsequently confirmed in the 2024 King's Speech.

By sequencing the project carefully, local leaders believe the railway could help retain the supply chains and specialist workforce already assembled for HS2; avoiding the:- 'boom and bust' cycle that has held back past infrastructure efforts.

From creating thousands of skilled jobs and cutting carbon, to unlocking investment and rebuilding local pride, the Liverpool - Manchester Railway is being put forward as a central part of the country's long term plan for growth.

A copy of the new report:- 'Connecting the North West to drive national prosperity can be', which was published on:- Wednesday, 14 May 2025, can be downloaded in .PDF format by clicking on here.

Garry Moroney, CEO at Roomex

Wed, 14 May 2025 10:19 pm

Binging Liverpool and Manchester within a 20-minute rail hop of each other will be transformational for industries across the North West. By shaving more than half an hour off every journey, it turns dead travel time into productive meeting time across the M62 corridor. Not only will it give time back to commuters, but it also lets engineers and site teams respond faster, as well as keeping vital supply chain conversations face-to-face. For City workers across industries, a dedicated Liverpool-Manchester high-speed line would unlock a new wave of trade and collaboration between 2 powerhouse Cities at the pace modern trade now expects. At Roomex, we give businesses a single, free-to-use platform to book rail, accommodation, and expenses, giving them the cost control and duty of care oversight their travelling staff expect.