New rail link Liverpool to Manchester – am I bothered?

The Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board, an expert board advising on how best to plan and deliver the project, is calling for the government to commit to the line and provide development funding as well as backing such a new collaborative model for delivery.

The plans include five new ‘growth zones’ around each of the stations – Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool Gateway, Warrington Bank Quay, Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly – designed to support new homes, jobs and regeneration ahead of the railway’s arrival. Together, the zones could unlock up to 500,000 homes and tens of thousands of jobs along the railway corridor. Taken as part of wider opportunities in the region, the Partnership Board argues the line can help unlock £90bn additional annual GVA in the North. 

Presenter: Huw Merriman, Chair of the Liverpool to Manchester Rail Partnership Board.

Huw served in Government as the Rail and Regional Transport Minister between 2022 and 2024 and retired from politics at the 2024 General Election. Prior to becoming an MP, Huw spent 18 years as a financial services lawyer, seven years of which were spent managing the legal team which unwound the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy.

The Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board

The Liverpool Manchester Railway Partnership Board was formed by the Mayors of Liverpool and Manchester, and the local authorities along the line of the proposed route.

Reporting to the Railway Board, the Partnership Board comprises senior leaders from across the region’s private sector and academia with the technical expertise to deliver not only the railway but the jobs, homes and skills along the line of route. Learning the lessons of HS2, the region stands ready to build the railway in partnership with Government by utilising new and forthcoming devolved powers to capture the value of the railway and the land surrounding it. The Partnership Board aims to help ensure that the railway is built more efficiently to time and cost and with a stronger business case.

The immediate objective of the Partnership Board has been to originate the ideas and innovation which demonstrate the value of the project to the Government and help contribute to national objectives on growth, housing and new jobs. In so doing, the Partnership Board seeks to secure a commitment to and development funding for the railway from government and inclusion in the proposed 10-year pipeline of major infrastructure projects. In meeting this objective, the Partnership Board has identified areas of growth in housing, commercial space and regeneration as well as maximising the use of the railway for energy and other utilities and providing ways for these factors to contribute towards the cost of the railway.