Mersey Maritime has long advocated improvements to regional rail infrastructure and called for improved east-west connections, including partnering with other regional cluster organisations like Humber Marine & Renewables to make the case over the many years.
We welcome the plans set out by the Government for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) which include 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 scheme is understood to be part of a 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. The plans aren’t just about construction of a railway; improved economic infrastructure will help unlock productivity, jobs and opportunity at scale.
We must now see delivery of these ambitious plans, in full. Too often announcements are made but little progress follows. Continuous momentum to deliver is absolutely essential. Delivering these plans in full will be vital to achieving their promise. We look forward to seeing continuous progress and turning this vision into reality for businesses and communities alike.
To find out more, please click HERE.
