LEEDS, England — Marking the 200th anniversary of the original Liverpool and Manchester Railway Co., the first intercity passenger rail line in the world, the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester announced the all-new Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board on May 22, 2024. This new venture also brings forth plans for an improved high speed rail line between the two northern England cities as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme. This comes after the late 2023 cancellation of the HS2 segment from Birmingham to Manchester [See “British government axes part of planned high-speed route” Trains News Wire, Oct. 4, 2023].
A joint news release from Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester said the announcement took place at the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum in Leeds, with mayors Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram as key speakers. Both leaders will serve on the board, as will Manchester City Council Leader Bev Craig; Liverpool City Council Leader Liam Robinson; local authorities along the proposed route; the Port of Liverpool; Manchester Airports Group; and other stakeholders. The board will work with the government and engage with the private sector to help build the business case for the line.
Plans for the line include proposed terminals at Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly stations, along with stops in Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport. Additional plans include an underground station at Piccadilly and improvements to Liverpool’s city centre. The BBC reports the service could cut the overall trip time between an hour and 25 minutes, according to Rotheram.
Burnham said both mayors received confirmation public funds of £17 billion, intended for the cancelled HS2 connection, are still available for the new line. However, he cautions this is the “starting point” and that the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board will seek additional investment. “We’ve got the budget,” Rotheram added. “We want to increase that but also we genuinely have the best interests of the cities of Liverpool and Manchester and Liverpool city region and Manchester city region at heart.”
