North West Mayors Urge Government for Liverpool-Manchester Rail Boosting £15bn Economy

Regional leaders, including the mayors of Liverpool and Manchester, Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham, are urging the UK government to commit funding and support for a new Liverpool-Manchester railway line, which could drastically reduce travel time between the cities to around 20 minutes. The proposed railway, part of the broader Northern Arc economic corridor, is projected to generate a £15 billion boost to the economy and create 22,000 jobs during construction, while also unlocking a potential £90 billion in economic growth across the North West by 2040. The plan involves new or upgraded stations at Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Gateway, Warrington Bank Quay, Manchester Airport, and Manchester Piccadilly, and aims to alleviate pressure on existing rail infrastructure. The leaders advocate a locally-led delivery model for the project, emphasizing faster, community-focused infrastructure development supported by private investment and lessons learned from past national schemes. There is a call for the railway to be included in the government's Ten-Year Infrastructure Strategy, with hopes that construction could begin in the early 2030s, continuing efforts to replace and improve connectivity following the cancellation of HS2's northern leg. The initiative is presented as a practical, deliverable plan intended to promote economic prosperity, housing, and regeneration across a densely populated region home to 5.4 million people.