Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, has warned that the North risks facing “Armageddon” unless the HS2 high-speed rail link from Birmingham to Manchester is completed.
He appealed to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to overturn the former government’s decision of cancelling the northern part of the project. He suggested a revised, more cost-effective version of the initial plan.
Burnham, while addressing the Labour Party Conference, stated that ending HS2 in Birmingham would negatively impact rail services in the North, resulting in slower trains and limited seating. He contended that if HS2 trains are forced to use the West Coast Main Line (WCML), which lacks the necessary capacity for double-length carriages and high-speed curves, it would create a train service that is worse than what currently exists.
Originally intended to connect London and Manchester, HS2 was scaled back in 2023 under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to save £36 billion, sparking outrage across the North. Burnham is now pushing for a lower-cost alternative, the Midlands-Northwest Rail Link, which would connect Lichfield to High Legh, near Warrington, and be backed by private investment.
Burnham said this project would resolve regional transport issues at a fraction of HS2’s original cost. He emphasised that Britain risks “sleepwalking toward a transport nightmare” unless investment is made to modernise rail infrastructure, particularly as the WCML and M6 motorway reach capacity.
He also voiced his backing for the extension of HS2 from Old Oak Common to London’s Euston Station, asserting that “people from the North of England ought to have access to the core of our capital city.”
Burnham’s remarks were made in response to the National Audit Office’s concerns about capacity issues due to the cancellation of HS2’s northern leg. He cautioned that solely upgrading the WCML could cause significant disruptions and would not be enough to satisfy future needs.
North faces ‘Armageddon’ without HS2 links, warns Andy Burnham (bmmagazine.co.uk)
