The government is expected to announce that it will give the go ahead to begin construction on the HS2 high-speed rail link from London as far North as Crewe, but will review so-called Phase 2b, from Crewe to Manchester and Birmingham to Leeds to mitigate spiralling costs of the project.
The section HS2 from Birmingham to Crewe will be brought forward to complete between 2028 and 2031, however the review could lead to changes to the route and stations into Greater Manchester in a bid to manage rising costs.
Costs were originally estimated at £56 billion in 2015, but the whole project is now expected to need a budget of £106 billion, which has lessened the economic viability of the rail link.
The line will also open before work to the London terminus at Euston Station will complete, with trains running only as far as Old Oak Common in North West London for the first three years, where it will connect with Crossrail.
Once completed, HS2 could cut journey times from London to Manchester Piccadilly by 60 minutes if high speed lines are used for the entire route North of Crewe.
Alongside the announcement of the review, the government is also expected to announce greater funding for other infrastructure in the North, which would allow HS2 to integrate more effectively with existing services to make the line more cost effective.
The infrastructure package is likely to include electrification of the Transpennine route between Manchester and York, greater funding for buses and cycling routes, and funding for broadband and 5G infrastructure in rural areas.
Support for HS3 or Northern Powerhouse Rail between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds is also expected, along with the ambition the route will integrate with the HS2 network, as outlined in a statement by Andy Burnham.
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