Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has stated that he will reinstate HS2’s long-cancelled Northern leg from Birmingham to Manchester if he becomes Prime Minister.
Burnham is due to take part in this coming Thursday’s Makerfield by-election and then, if successful, may choose to launch a leadership challenge against current Labour leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In a recent interview with I News, Burnham stated that if he is successful, he intends to reinstate the Northern leg of HS2, which was initially planned to connect Birmingham to Manchester.
Burnham’s plan would involve a Crossrail-style funding procedure for the line, with central government, councils and businesses all contributing to its overall cost.
In response, Huw Merriman, Chair, High Speed Rail Group has stated that he finds the Greater Manchester Mayor’s comments ‘very encouraging’, calling focus to the notion that the project was never envisioned as a ‘standalone railway’.
Huw Merriman, Chair, High Speed Rail Group, said:It is very encouraging to hear Andy Burnham continuing to advocate for a new railway between Birmingham and Manchester, a priority that has rightly remained on the Government’s agenda.
The need for the route is no less pressing today than when HS2 was first announced. A new connection between Birmingham and Manchester will add transport capacity to and from the North, while also helping to deliver the Government’s ambition of a more balanced UK economy. To maximise those benefits, planning for the next phase should begin in good time, as experience shows that successful infrastructure projects are built on long term planning and certainty.
With the London to Birmingham section of HS2 already under construction, the most complex and costly part of the new railway is being delivered. We now need to build on that investment, capitalising on lower delivery costs while sustaining the highly skilled jobs and world class supply chain that has been developed through HS2.
HS2 was never intended to be a standalone railway. Its greatest value will be realised as part of a wider national network, connecting cities, unlocking capacity for passengers and freight, and supporting growth across the country.
The northern leg of HS2 was officially scrapped by the then-Conservative government in October 2023, with the succeeding Labour government confirming that the project’s full scope would not be reinstated.
