New Rail link Proposals

Credit HS2

Ed: Following the Cheshire East recent statement we thought a little more detail on the new proposals might be appropriate This update is by courtesy of "Dan Whelan in the North West Place"

Mayors flesh out plan for Midlands-North West rail

A part private sector-funded 80km railway line aimed at improving connections between Birmingham and Greater Manchester city regions should replace the scrapped Northern leg of HS2, say metro mayors Andy Burnham and Richard Parker.

The recommendation for a new line between Lichfield in the West Midlands and High Legh in Cheshire is set out in a report commissioned late last year and published today.

Options were put forward in the report for rail connectivity between the West Midlands and the North West, reiterating what has previously been mooted by the mayors of the West Midlands and Greater Manchester; that a new line is the preferred option.

The line would be split into two parts – the Staffordshire Connector would connect Fradley in Lichfield with Crewe and the Cheshire Connector would link Crewe with High Legh and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The mayors want the government to back the project in the Budget at the end of October to enable feasibility work to begin.

It is anticipated the line would generate a £70bn economic boost for the two city region economies and reduce congestion on the West Coast mainline and M6 between Birmingham and Manchester, which threaten to undermine economic growth.

In order to deliver the project, the mayors are urging the government to keep hold of land acquired for the Northern leg of HS2 between Handsacre and Crewe.

The report also states the proposal will be between 60% to 75% cheaper to deliver than the previously planned HS2 Northern leg – saving the taxpayer around £2bn – while delivering 85% of the benefits. However, it would also be slower than HS2; trains on the proposed link would have a maximum speed of 300kph compared to 360/400kph.

The project is billed as a "golden opportunity" to reposition the UK as a country that is open to institutional infrastructure investment, the report states. Burnham and Parker want the government and British Infrastructure Council's help to attract investment for the project.

Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said failure to build a rail link connecting the two city regions would impact the economic growth of the whole country. He said: "There is a viable option to build a new rail line between Lichfield and High Legh, connecting HS2 to Northern Powerhouse Rail, with almost all of the benefits of HS2 delivered quickly and crucially at a significantly lower cost.

"Doing nothing is not an option as demand for rail services on the West Coast Main Line is set to exceed capacity within a decade. We are ready to work with government, colleagues in the West Midlands and the business community to build a railway fit for the 21st century. But we do need early decisions to end the uncertainty."

Parker, elected Mayor of the West Midlands in May, added: "This report confirms what we've been saying – additional rail capacity to and from the North is vital for the West Midlands. It's about more than quicker journeys; it's about connecting people, communities, and businesses to jobs and opportunities."

"I'll work with the government to ensure this happens, but we must also learn from successful rail systems around the world to deliver the best network and real value to the public. Without this extension, we will continue to be reliant on the West Coast mainline, which is already maxed out and impacting on the people of this region and wider. We need to free up capacity and we need to get this right – for our future and our economy."

The team that compiled the report was chaired by infrastructure expert Sir David Higgins and led by Arup alongside a private sector consortium of Addleshaw Goddard, Arcadis, Dragados, EY, Mace and Skanska.