The leader of a council has said an Andy Burnham premiership could benefit the north of England, as the area is set for improvements to rail links.
Warrington is to become a stop on a new rail link between Liverpool and Manchester, which is to be built as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).
Warrington Council’s Hans Mundry told Politics North West that he believes having a northern prime minister would make sure the area was “definitely in the mix” for “getting a fair crack of the whip” for future investment.
A masterplan has been launched for the area around Bank Quay Station, which would include thousands of new homes as well as commercial space.
Under the plans for NPR, a new route will run between Manchester and Liverpool with stops at Manchester Airport and Warrington.
“It’s serious, it’s going to happen but it’s just a question of the time it’s going to take,” said Mundry.
Mundry added that Warrington was not originally planned as a stop on NPR, but the area got “drawn in” after putting a case forward.
“The economic growth that Warrington can offer to the whole region is what we want to benefit,” he said.