Ministers are set to unveil plans for a fresh railway connection linking Birmingham and Manchester on Wednesday.
The announcement would resurrect a route that was axed from the HS2 high-speed project.
Wednesday’s expected statement will form part of a broader package of rail improvements across northern England under the Northern Powerhouse Rail initiative.
The concept of bringing high-speed rail to the north dates back to 2014, when George Osborne, then serving as Conservative chancellor, first proposed the idea.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has backed proposals for an alternative route between the two cities.
Specifics regarding the Birmingham-Manchester route remain limited, with the Government expected to confirm little beyond its intention to proceed once Northern Powerhouse Rail reaches completion.
The current West Coast main line suffers from severe overcrowding, and ministers have acknowledged that capacity must eventually be expanded.
Anticipated announcements from the government were postponed multiple times throughout last year owing to concerns about escalating costs.
The Government is set to announce a new railway line set to connect Birmingham and Manchester
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Sources indicate that officials have conducted an extensive review of the project, seeking to sidestep the difficulties that have beset HS2.
A Liverpool-Manchester connection is considered central to the NPR scheme, designed to reduce journey times between northern cities whilst stimulating economic growth beyond the capital.
HS2 has been plagued by substantial delays and spiralling expenses, running approximately ten years behind its original timeline whilst exceeding its budget by tens of billions of pounds.
The truncated line connecting Birmingham to London alone could reach £81bn, per the BBC.
The announcement would resurrect a route that was axed from the HS2 high-speed project
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When inflation is factored in, total expenditure may surpass £100bn despite delivering just 135 miles of new track.
HS2 Ltd, the Department for Transport’s delivery company, has acknowledged its failure to maintain cost control.
The organisation stated that actual delivery fell short of what it characterised as unrealistic expectations established during the project’s early stages.
In light of the failings, the Conservatives accused Labour of lacking the capacity to deliver on its commitments.
The Birmingham to Manchester part of HS2 was axed in 2023 | PA
Shadow Rail Minister Jerome Mayhew attacked the government’s approach.
“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,” he said.
He added: “Northern Powerhouse Rail could have been transformational, empowering regional growth and regeneration.”
Mr Mayhew warned: “Under Labour it risks becoming a permanent mirage that is endlessly redesigned, downgraded and never delivered.”