New rail link between North-west and Birmingham proposed to replace cancelled HS2 leg

A private sector consortium has backed plans for a new rail link to be built between Birmingham and the North-west of England that replaces the cancelled HS2 leg and will alleviate rail congestion on existing routes.

Combined authority mayors for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands commissioned the report earlier this year and suggested three options to boost capacity between Birmingham and towns and cities in the North-west on the West Coast Mainline.

Of the three options considered, the consortium of businesses appointed to deliberate on the plans have found that the only viable option for private sector investment was construction of a new railway line. Businesses gave their backing to building an entirely new railway following a route joining the HS2 line near Lichfield, Staffordshire, running via Crewe, and re-joining the West Coast Mainline again at High Legh in Cheshire, between Warrington and Manchester where it can also meet with a new East-West link between Liverpool, Manchester Airport, and Manchester Piccadilly.

Dubbed the Midlands-Northwest Rail Link (MNWRL), the 80 km route proposed would deliver 85% of the benefits of delivering HS2 in full, but reduce costs by 25-40% through construction of a lower-speed route. The link would also save £2 billion in costs from the HS2 cancellation by reusing some of the design work, as well as land already purchased for construction of the high-speed line. Financing for the scheme would be delivered using similar private sector-led models that have delivered expansions to high-speed rail infrastructure in France and Japan.

Smaller scale proposals, including upgrades to the West Coast Mainline, and rail ‘bypasses’ along the most congested parts of the route such as between Crewe and Stockport, were ruled out by the consortium as not being able to attract the private sector investment needed to deliver them.

The West Coast Mainline as a result is expect to reach maximum capacity by the middle of the next decade without action, resulting in worsening services for passengers as well as challenges for the movement of goods – the West Coast Mainline and M6 motorway combined form the UK’s busiest freight corridor. The use of new HS2 trains on existing track is also understood to result in slower journey times than at present due to the tight bends along the route.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:

“The report is clear: if we fail to put in place a plan soon to fix rail capacity and connectivity between the North and the Midlands, the already-congested West Coast Main Line and M6 will become major barriers to economic growth in the UK.

“But there is good news for the Government. The report concludes that we do not have to revive HS2 to unlock those benefits. There is a viable option to build a new rail line between Lichfield and High Legh, connecting HS2 to Northern Powerhouse Rail, with almost all of the benefits of HS2 delivered quickly and crucially at a significantly lower cost.“

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, who took over from Andy Street in May who co-commissioned the report alongside Andy Burnham:

“This report confirms what we’ve been saying – additional rail capacity to and from the North is vital for the West Midlands. It’s about more than quicker journeys; it’s about connecting people, communities, and businesses to jobs and opportunities.”

Sir David Higgins OBE, who chaired the commission of private companies including Arup, Arcadis, EY, Skanska, Dragados, Addleshaw Goddard and Mace, said:

“Our review sets out a plan to get connectivity between the Midlands and the Northwest back on track. We don’t pretend that solving the rail challenges between these two places will be easy. We know it will be hard graft. What we need now is for the new government to work together with the business community and Combined Authorities – take the practical steps to make a new rail link a reality. We have conclusively shown that a new line can be built cheaper and faster – we now need to get on and deliver it.

“Taking the time now to get these strategic decisions right would come at minimal cost but potentially enormous long-term benefit to the nation. Our future connectivity – and by extension, the economic and social health of our society for generations to come – depends on us making the right choices today.”