By Andy Bruce
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Britain’s second and third cities on Friday published plans for a new railway to counter the blow of last year’s government decision to gut much of the HS2 north-south high-speed rail project.
The authorities of Manchester and the West Midlands said a new line between Birmingham and Manchester would deliver 85% of the benefits of the planned-but-axed HS2 connection at 60%-75% of the cost.
It could expand the combined economies of the two cities by around 70 billion pounds ($92 billion) a year, their proposal paper said.
“If we fail to put in place a plan soon to fix rail capacity and connectivity between the North and the Midlands, the already-congested West Coast Main Line and M6 (motorway) will become major barriers to economic growth,” said Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester.
The Conservative prime minister at the time, Rishi Sunak, cancelled the northern leg of HS2 in October 2023, citing ballooning costs, and diverted funds into other transport projects such as road improvements.
Investors and infrastructure experts said the decision highlighted Britain’s systemic failure to promote infrastructure investment.
The truncated HS2 between London and Birmingham should open to passengers between 2029 and 2033.
While HS2 trains will continue north of Birmingham using the existing line – at lower speeds – they will replace some existing trains that carry more passengers.
Friday’s report aims to win the approval of new Labour Party finance minister Rachel Reeves as she prepares her inaugural budget on Oct. 30.
She promised to raise investment ahead of July’s election victory, but since taking office has stressed the poor state of public finances and the need for tough decisions.
The report said a new railway could use much of the land already purchased for HS2 while saving money with a simpler design and lower speeds.
The Midlands-North West Rail Link would connect HS2 in the south to the Northern Powerhouse Rail project, designed to overhaul decrepit connections between the cities of northern England.
The Department for Transport said it was committed to improving rail connections across the north and would set out next steps in due course. ($1 = 0.7613 pounds)
(Reporting by Andy Bruce)
