The link will come as part of phase two of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project, a scheme aiming to deliver faster and more frequent trains across the North, through new and improved lines and stations.
The authority unveiled plans at a conference at Alderley Park on Friday – just days after the CWCA unveiled its £10m investment programme, as part of the 30-year mayoral investment fund settlement.
CWCA chair, councillor Louise Gittins, said: “Opportunities such as Warrington Bank Quay are of national significance and capable of driving long-term prosperity.”
The CWCA is now looking to formally join the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board, subject to a board decision next moth.
The board’s chair, Huw Merriman, said: “As the entire line of route will now be covered by combined authorities, there is maximum potential to deliver not just a railway but a series of growth zones.
“It turbo charges the project and maximises the business case; cementing the railway as a growth opportunity as well as a set of tracks.”