HS2's Growth Taskforce has come to Manchester today (October 1st) to meet key figures from the north-west.

This is part of the group's ongoing roadshow to meet key figures and discuss making the most of HS2.

The government believes that the high speed development, combined with a current programme of rail electrification, will improve connectivity for cities in the north-west.

It estimates Manchester's new stations could provide approximately 40,000 jobs, while previous research conducted by KPMG suggests local annual productivity could be up by £1.3 billion in the first five years of HS2 - it will be connected to Manchester by 2033.

Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese said: "HS2 is fundamentally important to the future growth of Britain’s economy as a whole but also to enable major cities such as Manchester and their surrounding regions to compete for trade, investment and jobs on a global stage."

Mr Leese added that, by 2020, rail and road systems would need to increase capacity and, as a result, there is strong demand for building a new network.