A new railway connecting Liverpool and Manchester could kickstart a £90 billion economic transformation across the North West and help reshape how major infrastructure is delivered in the UK.
Regional leaders have set out proposals for a new Liverpool-Manchester Railway that would deliver jobs, growth, and regeneration across the North West, while offering a new, more effective model for building big projects: led locally, delivered faster, and designed around communities.
Mayors Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham, alongside former Rail Minister Huw Merriman, civic and business leaders from across the North West, are urging the government to work in partnership on the plans. A firm commitment now, they argue, would allow construction to begin in the early 2030s – giving certainty to investors and helping retain the skilled workforce built up through the delivery of HS2.
A report outlines the case for the new line, which would run from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Piccadilly, with stops at a new Liverpool Gateway station, Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport. It estimates that construction of the railway could deliver a £15bn boost to the economy and create 22,000 jobs.
But the impact goes far beyond the route itself and construction benefits. The railway would be one component of the Northern Arc – an emerging economic corridor stretching from the Mersey to the Pennines and beyond. Recent analysis by Metro Dynamics suggests that, as part the Arc, securing the growth trajectory of Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Warrington and Liverpool City Region area could add £90 billion in cumulative GVA to the UK economy by 2040 and double the size of the region’s economy in less than 30 years.
Huw Merriman chairs the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board – an expert board advising on how best to deliver the project. He said:
“The Liverpool-Manchester Railway is a credible and convincing project that will make the areas benefitting from the line and around the stations a highly-desirable place to live, invest and do business. Certainty on its delivery will be critical for both the North West’s and UK’s growth trajectory.
“Lessons must be learnt from past projects, including HS2, and a new locally-led model will be proof of devolution in action. The North West is unique in that we have mayors, civic and business leaders standing shoulder-to-shoulder ready to make this railway happen. Working together with government they can tackle the challenges that have come with such infrastructure delivery in the past.”
The plans include five new ‘growth opportunity areas’ around each of the stations – Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Gateway, Warrington Bank Quay, Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly – designed to support new homes, jobs and regeneration ahead of the railway’s arrival.
The previous government committed £17 billion to the Liverpool-Manchester line following the cancellation of HS2’s northern leg. The project’s inclusion in the High Speed Rail Bill was subsequently confirmed in the 2024 King’s Speech.
By sequencing the project carefully, local leaders believe the railway could help retain the supply chains and specialist workforce already assembled for HS2 – avoiding the ‘boom and bust’ cycle that has held back past infrastructure efforts.
Image credit: TfGM
