Government Signals Return of Birmingham to Manchester Rail Link

The government is expected to signal a renewed ambition to improve rail connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester, with ministers preparing to outline plans for a new line linking the two cities.

Earlier versions of the HS2 high-speed rail project included a Birmingham to Manchester route, but that section was abandoned under the previous government led by Rishi Sunak. The move left the West Coast main line as the primary rail artery between the Midlands and the North West, despite long-standing concerns about congestion and limited capacity.

Alongside the Birmingham to Manchester proposal, ministers are also expected to confirm plans for a wider package of rail upgrades across the North of England under the Northern Powerhouse Rail banner. The scheme is intended to deliver faster and more reliable connections between major northern cities, with a new Liverpool to Manchester line seen as one of its central components.

However, little detail is expected on how or when a new Birmingham to Manchester route would be delivered. Current indications suggest it would only be built once Northern Powerhouse Rail is completed, meaning construction may not begin for many years, potentially stretching into the distant future.

The idea of high-speed rail serving northern England was first advanced in 2014 by then chancellor George Osborne. Since then, progress has been uneven, with repeated delays and revisions driven largely by rising costs. Planned announcements on Northern Powerhouse Rail were postponed several times last year as ministers grappled with concerns over affordability and value for money.

Sources have indicated that the project has been subject to an extended review process aimed at avoiding the problems that have plagued HS2. The high-speed rail scheme is now tens of billions of pounds over budget and running around a decade behind schedule. Reports have suggested the remaining Birmingham to London section alone could cost £81bn, a figure that could rise to at least £100bn once inflation is taken into account, despite delivering just 135 miles of new railway.

HS2 Ltd, the company set up by the Department for Transport to deliver the project, has acknowledged failures in controlling costs and admitted that early expectations were unrealistic. Ministers continue to accept that additional rail capacity will eventually be required on the West Coast main line, while Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has publicly backed the idea of a new route between Birmingham and Manchester.

Shadow Rail Minister Jerome Mayhew said:

"Labour have spent months talking up Northern Powerhouse Rail, yet today they've put back any plans to actually deliver it and rewritten timetables on the fly. Northern Powerhouse Rail could have been transformational, empowering regional growth and regeneration. Under Labour it risks becoming a permanent mirage that is endlessly redesigned, downgraded and never delivered."

Image: Transport for Greater Manchester