The Labour government is expected to announce the reversing of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to cut HS2’s Northern leg between Birmingham and Crewe, according to media reports.
HS2 had initially been slated to go from London to Leeds, before being cut back to London to Manchester – and then scaled down again to between London and Birmingham last year in a controversial decision by the Conservative government.
The Northern leg of HS2 had comprised two phases: 2a, which connected Birmingham to Crewe, and 2b, which went from Crewe to Manchester. It was said to have a price tag of £36bn.
However, a re-evaluation of the scheme’s cost-benefit has pushed Keir Starmer to reconsider the scrapping of at least one part of the Northern half of the original project, according to LBC. The media organisation also reported that the future phase 2a would not be under the remit of HS2 Ltd. Instead, a private sector group would lead the scheme’s delivery.
Northerners have long been calling for additional investment in the regional transport scene, with politicians advocating for a variety of solutions.
In September, plans for Midlands-North West rail were put forward by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker.
The plans were partly in response to the cancellation of HS2, with an understanding that connecting the city regions in the North West to smaller towns along the West Coast Mainline remained critical.
Burnham and Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram have also been pushing for a new Manchester-Liverpool rail link – the future of which was thrown in doubt in September after transport secretary Louise Haigh discussed the need for pragmatic spending over fulfilling previous government promises.
At Place North West’s Place RESI event on Thursday, Burnham cited transport as a key barrier to development in the region.
He also referenced his own plans to improve the situation in Greater Manchester.
In July, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority announced plans to expand the Bee Network, reaching further out from Manchester city centre.
Burnham pointed to the success of Stockport Interchange and nodded to plans to establish eight Greater Manchester commuter train lines connecting towns such as Golborne and Buxton with an efficient route into the city.
He said the lines would operate in a similar fashion to London’s Overground services, which connects commuter towns to the Transport for Greater London network.
The eight rail corridors proposed for integration into the Bee Network are:
- Wigan via Atherton
- Wigan via Bolton
- Wigan via Golborne
- Manchester Airport
- Alderley Edge and Buxton via Stockport
- Glossop, Hadfield and Rose Hill Marple via Guide Bridg
- Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge
- Rochdale
The railways would provide developers with opportunities around these stations, with a specific desire for similar densification of homes around the connections.