Overview

• A proposed express rail line between Manchester and Liverpool aims to cut journey times to 32 minutes with trains running every 10 minutes.
• The £17 billion project includes an underground station at Manchester Piccadilly, a new transport interchange at Manchester Airport, and station refurbishments along the route.
• Regional leaders, led by Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram, are lobbying the UK government to include the project in its 10-year infrastructure plan, targeting construction by the early 2030s.
• The plan is projected to unlock £90 billion in economic value, create 22,000 construction jobs, and catalyze the development of 1.5 million new homes.
• Editors of rival newspapers Manchester Evening News and Liverpool Echo issued a rare joint statement advocating for the project, highlighting decades of underinvestment in Northern transport.