'The government will need to give businesses the assurance they need to invest,' Chambers of Commerce leader says of plan for new Birmingham to Manchester railway line
‘The government will need to learn from previous mistakes’ a Birmingham business spokesman has said following news of a government plan to build a new railway line between Birmingham and Manchester.
The news was announced on Tuesday although no timescale was given for when the line would be built.
The Treasury said it wants a new Birmingham-Manchester rail line but it would not be “a reinstatement of HS2” - plans for which were scrapped by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government in October 2023 to save cash.
It’s understood that land between Manchester and Birmingham previously obtained for HS2 would be held onto while the project, which would ease pressure on the West Coast Main Line, is developed.
The news has been welcomed by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with a few words of advice for the government.
Raj Kandola, acting deputy CEO at the Chambers, said: “This development is a key first step towards re-addressing the disastrous decision to curtail the progress of HS2 beyond Birmingham.
“Proper connectivity between our great cities is essential if we are to avoid an overreliance on the south of the country to generate prosperity.
“However, the Government will need to learn from previous mistakes and ensure a realistic and cost-effective delivery plan is set out to give businesses the assurance they need to invest.”
The Treasury said the new line would not open until after the completion of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) which aims to boost east-west rail connections across northern England.
