A brand new rail line will probably be constructed between Birmingham and Manchester, the federal government has introduced.
Nonetheless, no timescale for when it could be constructed was supplied – or every other particulars, corresponding to how it could be funded.
The Treasury mentioned it desires a brand new Birmingham-Manchester rail line, however it could not be “a reinstatement of HS2”.
Rishi Sunak’s Conservative authorities scrapped a deliberate extension of HS2 between the 2 cities in 2023 to save cash.
Land obtained for HS2 between the West Midlands and northern cities will probably be stored whereas the challenge is developed.
A brand new line would ease strain on the West Coast Major Line, the federal government mentioned.
The Treasury didn’t present a date for when it goals to have the brand new line completed, however mentioned it could not open till after the completion of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), a scheme to spice up east-west rail connections throughout northern England.
Sir Keir Starmer mentioned the federal government was “rolling up its sleeves” to ship NPR.
The Conservatives scrapped the Birmingham to Manchester route of HS2
The programme’s first section is about to enhance connections on present traces within the 2030s on these routes: between Sheffield and Leeds; between Leeds and York; and between Leeds and Bradford.
They don’t require main new land acquisitions.
A second section of NPR is about to contain a brand new route between Liverpool and Manchester through Manchester airport and Warrington, utilizing a mix of recent and present traces.
The third and last section will contain higher connections eastwards from Manchester to Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York.
There may be additionally cash for a brand new station for Bradford.
Common providers would run on to Newcastle through Darlington and Durham, and Chester for North Wales connections.
Growth work would even be taken ahead on reopening the Leamside Line, a 21-mile route between Pelaw, Gateshead, and Tursdale, County Durham, which was closed in 1964.
The primary section of NPR will use land already obtained for a scrapped HS2 line
The Treasury mentioned a “funding cap” of £45bn can be set for NPR, though this could possibly be topped up by native contributions, corresponding to by elevated income from enterprise charges.
It added that an preliminary £1.1bn for improvement and design work can be obtainable to allow the creation of a “detailed supply plan which is able to embody timings”.
Sir Keir mentioned: “Time and again, folks in northern communities, from Liverpool and Manchester to York and Newcastle have been let down by damaged guarantees.
“This cycle has to finish. No extra paying lip service to the potential of the North, however backing it to the hilt.
“That is why this authorities is rolling up its sleeves to ship actual, lasting change for hundreds of thousands of individuals by Northern Powerhouse Rail: a significant new rail community throughout the North that may ship quicker, extra frequent providers.”
Nonetheless, the Tories accused the federal government of “watering down” NPR and mentioned ministers had “put again any plans to truly ship it and rewritten timetables on the fly”.
Shadow rail minister Jerome Mayhew mentioned: “Labour lurch from evaluate to evaluate, deadline to deadline, with no grip on prices, no readability on scope and no braveness to make choices, exemplified nowhere clearer than the hatchet job of Nice British Railways.
“Northern Powerhouse Rail may have been transformational, empowering regional progress and regeneration. Beneath Labour it dangers changing into a everlasting mirage that’s endlessly redesigned, downgraded and by no means delivered.”
