The mayors of the West Midlands and Greater Manchester have unveiled plans for the Midlands-Northwest Rail Link, a 50-mile line connecting the two regions as an alternative to the cancelled northern leg of HS2.
Business leaders in the regions have expressed strong support for the new proposal, which could transform rail connectivity between the Midlands and the North.
The new rail link, proposed by a private consortium, would run from Lichfield to High Legh, south-east of Warrington.
The proposal follows a review commissioned by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, which highlighted the need for increased rail capacity to relieve pressure on the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML) and the M6 motorway.
The review found that the new line could offer a cost-effective solution, coming in at 60 to 75 percent less expensive than the HS2 northern leg.
These savings would be achieved by lowering the design speed of the railway, using ballasted track, and adhering to UK standards instead of the European cross-section specifications used for HS2.
“The previous Government's decision to curtail the progress of HS2 beyond Birmingham was a kick in the teeth to the regional growth agenda so the release of this report couldn't be more timely.
“It's great to see the Combined Authority mayors working in tandem to explore practical options to enhance rail connectivity between our great cities.
“By utilising private sector expertise, we can hopefully move forward with building a railway that will help to improve capacity on the network, create jobs, boost productivity levels and ultimately drive economic growth.”
