Groundbreaking new rail line to connect Midlands to North West will deliver £70bn boost

View of the tracks and platforms astatine Lichfield Trent Valley presumption (Image: Getty)

A powerhouse boost to the tune of £70 cardinal is successful store for section economies courtesy of this obstruction connection, which plans to widen from Lichfield successful Staffordshire to High Legh successful Cheshire, rising arsenic a phoenix from the ashes of the scrapped HS2 Phase 2.

It's not solely astir determination prosperity insights from an associated study hint astatine the enactment channelling up to £24 cardinal per annum into taxation coffers, marking a windfall for the Exchequer.

Support from firm titans including Arcadis and Skanska underscores the project's magnitude, conceived arsenic a remedy for existent strains connected transport. The inaugural points to a resurrection of a pivotal UK infrastructure artery.

The West Midlands' Mayor Richard Parker proclaimed: "Additional obstruction capableness to and from the North is captious for the West Midlands. It's astir much than quicker journeys; it's astir connecting people, communities, and businesses to jobs and opportunities.", arsenic reported by City AM.

"I'll enactment with the authorities to guarantee this happens, but we indispensable besides larn from palmy obstruction systems astir the satellite to present the champion web and existent worth to the public.

"Without this extension, we volition proceed to beryllium reliant connected the West Coast mainline, which is already maxed retired and impacting connected the radical of this portion and wider. We request to escaped up capableness and we request to get this close for our aboriginal and our economy."

The obstruction web successful the Midlands and North of England has been plagued by persistent problems for decades, which are often blamed for determination economical underperformance and vexation with connectivity.

In their study outlining proposals for the caller bid line, concern leaders urged the authorities to signifier a steering radical that would bring unneurotic the backstage sector, section authorities, and cardinal government.

It suggests that this radical would oversee a six-month feasibility survey for a projected obstruction nexus betwixt the Midlands and the North West, focused connected attracting backstage investment, improving fiscal and economical planning, and processing method solutions.

The connection besides calls connected the authorities to support power of onshore on the erstwhile HS2 Phase 2A way and clasp readying powers to forestall immoderate delays successful moving the caller nexus forward.

Andy Burham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: "If we neglect to enactment successful spot a program soon to hole obstruction capableness and connectivity betwixt the North and the Midlands, the already-congested West Coast Main Line and M6 volition go large barriers to economical maturation successful the UK.

"But determination is bully quality for the government. Our study concludes that we bash not person to revive HS2 to unlock those benefits.

"There is simply a viable enactment to physique a caller obstruction enactment betwixt Lichfield and High Legh, connecting HS2 to Northern Powerhouse Rail, with astir each of the benefits of HS2 delivered rapidly and crucially astatine a importantly little cost.

"Doing thing is not an enactment arsenic request for obstruction services connected the West Coast Main Line is acceptable to transcend capableness wrong a decade.

"We are acceptable to enactment with government, colleagues successful the West Midlands and the concern assemblage to physique a railway acceptable for the 21st century. But we bash request aboriginal decisions to extremity the uncertainty."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Transport is an indispensable portion of our ngo to rebuild Britain, and we are perfectly committed to improving obstruction connectivity crossed the North and moving with devolved leaders, arsenic acceptable retired successful the Government's manifesto."

"We are presently reviewing the presumption we person inherited connected HS2 and volition acceptable retired adjacent steps successful owed course."