The Mayors of Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region unveiled an ambitious plan to revolutionise rail links between the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester.
Launching the newly formed Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board, the civic leaders laid out their preferred options for a major upgrade to rail infrastructure linking the North West’s two largest city-regions.
Plans include investment in Liverpool city station and a new modern underground station at Manchester Piccadilly.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) said a new, high-speed rail line would run through new stations at Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport, connecting the Investment Zones in Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester via prime development sites.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “We’ve been successful in making the case to government for our preferred options – in Greater Manchester that means a new, underground station at Piccadilly. The new Board will help us accelerate these plans and capitalise on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build the railway the North needs.”
Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, added: “Transformative investment in better rail connectivity between our two city regions is more than just a regional project. This is a nationally important infrastructure scheme that would help to unlock the North’s enormous potential and deliver a greater return to the Treasury.”
After the northern HS2 legs were scrapped, the government asked the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region to recommend solutions for better rail connectivity between the two cities under the Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme.
Announced at the UK's Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum, the newly formed Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board said they will take a locally-driven approach to deliver top-tier connectivity and economically ‘turbocharge’ the North West.
The Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board's key task will be collaborating with the government and private sector to construct a robust business case supporting the most ambitious rail line possible between the two cities.
To further this aim, the Board is now inviting expressions of interest from potential private sector partners interested in engaging with the initiative.