The government has announced a major transformation to travel in the North, including a new rail line between Liverpool and Manchester as part of a huge £45bn plan described as “the biggest transformation to travel in the north in a generation”.
Northern Powerhouse Rail, which will feature a new line between Liverpool and Manchester via Warrington and Manchester Airport, as well as upgraded connections through to Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York, aims to give people across the North of England access to faster commutes, better jobs, more homes and increased investment in their communities.
Paul Cherpeau, chief executive of Liverpool Chamber, said:
“Rail reform that better connects the Liverpool City Region to the rest of the UK is long overdue, so we welcome the government’s latest announcement. Not only do we need enhanced and more efficient passenger services across the North, but also greater freight capacity to boost the flow of goods for our trading partners, supporting sustainable economic growth for those who live and work in the city region.
“However, many business leaders will feel they have heard much of this before, so they will understandably be keen to see further details announced about timings and funding so that plans can become a reality.
“It is also important that improvements continue to be made in the interim to support greater connectivity in the here and now which can help to stimulate growth and give businesses the confidence to expand their operations in the shorter term.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“Two hundred years ago, we built the world’s first passenger railway between Liverpool and Manchester – and changed history. After more than a decade of dither, delay and broken promises, this is the start of a new era, with a genuinely strategic approach and a government finally backing Northern Powerhouse Rail in full.”
“A creaking rail system has held the North back for too long. Our journeys aren’t just slower – our growth has been slower too. Poor connectivity doesn’t just hold people back – it holds our economy back. It limits our productivity, restricts freight capacity, and chokes off opportunity.
“Today that changes. This is the kind of ambition we’ve been crying out for. Not another empty slogan or back of a fag packet plan but real investment, delivered in a proper partnership with local leaders that will unleash our latent potential and unlock growth in all of our communities right across the great North.”
