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HS2 is already tens of billions over budget and a decade behind schedule. So while Birmingham still waits for its high-speed rail to London, any hope of a better connection to Manchester looks long gone. A Phase 2 link between the two cities was scrapped in 2023 by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, while its reinstatement was ruled out by the incoming Labour government the following year.
But reports are coming out that the government will announce a new rail link between Birmingham and Manchester tomorrow (Wednesday, January 14, 2026). Looking to avoid a repeat of HS2, an extended review process has already been carried out.
Only a few more details about the Birmingham to Manchester route are expected to be revealed, however. This new trainline is unlikely to happen for years, if not decades. First, the focus is on the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).
While the idea of high-speed rail in the north of England has been floated for over a decade, the NPR scheme aims to cut travel times between northern cities with new and improved rail links. A new rail line between Liverpool and Manchester is seen as a cornerstone of the project.
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The likes of Hull, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, and many more northern cities and towns will also benefit from NPR. The new line will mean that over 25% of workers will be “will be within 90 minutes of four or more northern cities.”
The government will confirm its commitment to the scheme tomorrow, with construction on the new Birmingham-Manchester line not to begin until after NPR is finished. Still, it might end up happening faster than the London to Birmingham line gets finished.
Currently, there’s no completion date for HS2, which could cost an estimated £81bn for 135 miles of railway, after an initial planned opening of 2033. Work between Birmingham and Handsacre was deferred for four years in October 2025 as part of a project reset to stop spiralling costs.