STORY
Government ministers are expected to commit to a new rail link between Birmingham and Manchester, reviving plans for a direct Midlands-to-North West connection after the northern leg of HS2 was scrapped under the previous Conservative government.
The proposal, due to be set out as part of a wider package on Northern Powerhouse Rail, is not expected to begin until other major upgrades across the North of England are delivered. Figures familiar with the plans have indicated the Birmingham–Manchester route would follow later phases, meaning construction could still be over a decade away.
The move is politically significant because it marks the clearest attempt yet by the current government to replace the cancelled HS2 section north of Birmingham, which was dropped in 2023 amid rising costs and uncertainty over delivery. At the time, ministers argued the money would be redirected into smaller rail and road schemes, a claim that has remained contested by city leaders and transport campaigners.