The UK government said that commuters across the North West of England are set to benefit from a brand new rail line between Liverpool and Manchester amid major new plans “to unlock billions of pounds of economic potential.”

Plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) have been set out, including a new rail route between Liverpool and Manchester, running via Manchester Airport and Warrington and improved connections across the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield.

The current direct rail journey from Liverpool to Manchester Airport is one hour and 25 minutes, stopping 21 times over a distance of just 29 miles, meanwhile, Reading to London Paddington takes 22 minutes, covering 35 miles.

“The scheme is part of the major government drive to boost growth and living standards across the north, helping to unlock around £40 billion of economic potential – growing the productivity of the 5 largest cities to the national average would add up to £40 billion a year to the UK economy,” said the UK’s Department for Transport.

“The second phase of NPR will include 3 new stations at Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington Bank Quay Low Level along the route, with delivery starting in the 2030s.

“Improvements to busy stations, Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central, are also being considered alongside the work the government is undertaking together with Liverpool City Region to look at options for a major regeneration scheme in the city centre.

“This will follow phase one which will see upgrades across routes between Leeds, Bradford, York and Sheffield. The third phase will focus on improved connections between Manchester and Sheffield, Manchester and Leefs and explore options for Manchester to Bradford.”

UK Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “For too long, the North has been held back by underinvestment and years of dither and delay – but that ends now.

“This new era of investment will reignite the economy across Liverpool and Manchester, helping their iconic sport and cultural industries to thrive, and cementing Manchester Airport as the gateway to the North.

“This exciting new line will not only speed up journeys, it will open up new jobs and homes for people, making a real difference to millions of lives.”

Huw Merriman, Chair of Liverpool-Manchester Rail Partnership Board, said: “This is superb news for the North and for the entire country.

“NPR is a project I’ve long championed, as a former Chair of the Transport Select Committee, Rail Minister and now Chair of the Liverpool Manchester Railway Board, so it is excellent to see the government backing it in full from the outset, enabling proper planning and delivery that learns the lessons of HS2, as well as keeping options open for addressing North–South capacity on the West Coast Mainline.

“The strong partnership between government and regional leaders will ensure the project reaches its full potential, with new rail infrastructure unlocking the region’s next chapter of growth and acting as a catalyst for new homes, jobs and skills

“I look forward to working with the government and regional mayors to deliver on NPR’s potential ambition to better connect the UK and drive economic growth.”

This upgrade to rail travel is one of the central building blocks of the UK government’s “plan for the North” – to be published in the spring. This will include plans for a northern growth corridor from Liverpool to York – which “has the potential to be one of Europe’s great economic powerhouses.”

It will also include plans to make the most of economic opportunities right across the North, including in clean energy, defence and advanced manufacturing.

“The NPR plans are in addition to the Transpennine route upgrade, which will cut journey times between York and Manchester and Manchester and Leeds, create over 5,000 jobs, and support the development of 6,500 new homes in the region,” said the UK’s Department for Transport.

“This Northern Powerhouse Programme will unlock immediate benefits for residents, with new skilled jobs in the planning, development, design and construction of the project. The government is working closely with employers and local leaders to help fill local skills gaps and local colleges across the country will receive £570 million to expand their training facilities.

“A funding cap of £45 billion will be set for the programme, including £1.1 billion over the current Spending Review period allocated from existing budgets first. Learning lessons from HS2, the government will work closely with local partners to ensure planning processes are carried out efficiently, and approvals are streamlined to reduce delays and prevent projects going over budget.

“The city regions of the North have huge untapped economic potential.

“Places like Sheffield and Newcastle have grown roughly twice as fast as the UK average since 2019, whilst Manchester has grown over 4 times as fast. Whilst Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter is the home to the future of life sciences, supporting over 400 businesses, hospitals, and universities in the city, driving pioneering business and research.

“Leeds and West Yorkshire are emerging as the ‘Northern square mile’ for financial services, while South Yorkshire is at the cutting edge on defence and advanced manufacturing and Newcastle’s growing research and innovation sector.

“To maximise NPR’s benefits and secure Britain’s future growth, the government is also setting out a long-term objective to see a full new north-south line from Birmingham to Manchester. This will ensure sufficient capacity and better connectivity on the West Coast Main Line, but it won’t be a revival of HS2 Phase 2. Instead, the government will launch a feasibility study, working with local partners on what will be delivered, when and to what specifications.

“This will be an incremental programme, with improvements in the Northern growth corridor prioritised first and land already purchased between the West Midlands and Crewe will be retained in the meantime.

“The government is working with mayors, other local leaders and businesses to announce a wider plan this spring for taking advantage of these strengths, firing up productivity and prosperity across the North.

“ This plan brings in existing work to unlock immediate benefits for residents, including work to help fill local skills gaps across the country, and will build on this with further policies to improve connectivity, revitalise cities and towns, support people with the skills to access new opportunities and support businesses to innovate and grow.”