A New railway connecting Liverpool and Manchester is the missing link in plans to boost jobs, deliver new homes and grow international trade.
The line would connect two growth locations – spanning from the Mersey to the Pennines – creating an economic supercluster say Mayors Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram as they bring together investors at MIPIM to explore massive, internationally significant regeneration opportunities.
A ‘Northern Arc’ , the stretch from the Mersey to the Pennines,is already home to two investment zones, 5.4 million people, and creates an annual GVA of £150 billion and £23.5 billion in exports.
The Liverpool-Manchester Railway is the missing piece of the North’s transport infrastructure, with studies showing it would add £7 billion GVA to the UK economy, support delivery of around 300,000 new homes over 20 years and help create more than 40,000 high-quality jobs by 2050.
More capacity on a modern railway would drastically improve connectivity between the region’s internationally significant physical assets including the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Airport – helping boost international trade. It would also foster innovation and a critical mass of industries along a major growth corridor, creating opportunities for young people and attracting, retaining and developing the world’s best talent in the North West.
Speaking at an investor round table at MIPIM today, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram outlined how the ‘Northern Arc’ will make a major contribution to the national growth mission. It will do so by creating the right conditions to fuel housebuilding, business growth and innovation, and bolster international trade.
The city-regions have also started work with independent economists to understand the full scale of potential of such an economic supercluster, with plans to collaborate with local authorities and the private sector in the North West and across the Pennines border. It will build on the model of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc – now widely regarded as a successful model of attracting investment and innovation.
Investment opportunities include regeneration and development opportunities to support advancement in life sciences; advanced materials and manufacturing; low-carbon and net zero sectors; as well as AI and sustainable aviation fuels.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:
“Our city-regions have their own growth stories and opportunities, such as the Old Trafford regeneration project and Atom Valley in Greater Manchester. But our combined pipelines of investment opportunities – the Northern Arc – will create a powerful northern engine to fuel national growth, one greater than the sum of our parts. To achieve its full potential, we need a new Liverpool-Manchester railway – a crucial missing link that must be a priority for the UK’s infrastructure plan.
“The sheer scale of untapped growth potential of the North means that, with the right government support, the size of the prize could match that of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. This is not about competing – we are already creating valuable partnerships with Cambridge – it’s about recognising that this approach to creating superclusters can deliver the same, if not greater economic clout in the North West than anywhere else in the country.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, said:
“The Northern Arc represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the North West into a global powerhouse for world-leading businesses.
“In the Liverpool City Region, we’re already primed to lead the way in high-growth industries such as life sciences, advanced manufacturing and low-carbon technologies. And with investments like the £550m Health Innovation Liverpool Campus and the expanding Sci-Tech Daresbury, we’re creating opportunities for businesses to thrive and innovation to flourish.
“The Northern Arc is about connecting these hubs with Greater Manchester and beyond. The Liverpool to Manchester railway presents us with a fantastic opportunity to do this. With Government backing, this strategic move will unlock new jobs, drive economic growth, and secure the North’s place at the forefront of the UK’s future prosperity.”
