A long-term aim to build a new rail line linking Birmingham and Manchester has been announced by the government as part of its Northern Powerhouse Rail plans.
The construction of a new line would take place after the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), meaning it is unlikely to start until the mid-2040s at the earliest.
A long-term aim to build a new rail line linking Birmingham and Manchester has been announced by the government as part of its Northern Powerhouse Rail plans.
The construction of a new line would take place after the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), meaning it is unlikely to start until the mid-2040s at the earliest.
It has said the proposal is not a reinstatement of HS2 Phase 2 which was cancelled by Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2023.
Sources said that while the government knows there are capacity concerns on the West Coast Main Line, which HS2 Phase 2 was originally designed to alleviate, it doesn’t believe a new Birmingham-Manchester line is required before the estimated timescales set out as part of the NPR announcement.
No budget or detailed work has been attached to the proposal at present.
The High Speed Rail Group (HSRG) welcomed the decision but was concerned about the lack of clarity.
A spokesperson said: “The Government’s commitment to build a new line from Birmingham to Manchester is essential and the right decision. It will maximise the benefits of the investment already made into HS2 and avoid locking in Britain’s biggest bottleneck north of Birmingham.
“The industry is concerned, though, that the timescales for delivering this new line appear uncertain and potentially some decades away,” adding it was a “step forward” after the cancellation of HS2 to Crewe and Manchester.
“We look forward to working with the Government to develop the plan for an affordable new line from Birmingham to Manchester, which is key to unlocking economic growth in the north of England.”
However, the group also noted: “We are also concerned that the Government does not intend to extend the land purchase powers between Birmingham and Crewe, which expire next month.”
The Department for Transport (DfT) said land purchased between the West Midlands and Crewe will be retained while the government launches a feasibility study to examine what will be delivered and the specifications of the line.
RAIL understands that the DfT still holds the land between Birmingham and Crewe with HS2’s compulsory purchase order powers for the now-cancelled Phase 2 expire on February 11. It’s thought discussions are under way to decide how to proceed.
The TSSA also called for more details and a quicker delivery of the line.
General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust described the announcement as “long on aspiration but desperately short on delivery details”.
“It’s vital the government acts at pace to deliver these plans and signal a break with the austerity of the past, funding projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail by properly taxing the super-rich, not just ordinary hard-working people,” she said.
“If not, this risks becoming another press release instead of a plan, with delays, exclusions and public trust once again paying the price.”
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