New rail link needed after election losses - mayor

Infrastructure investment can offer the government the "strong northern story" it needs after recent election losses, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has said.

He spoke after calling on ministers to back a new Liverpool to Manchester railway line in a meeting at Westminster on Wednesday alongside Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.

Burnham said the railway line had been promised ten years ago, so it was no surprise that many voters in the North of England "feel so alienated from the system".

The mayor's comments come after he was asked about Labour's disappointing performance in the local elections and the rise of Reform UK.

The northern mayors have asked the government to commit to the new railway in its June spending review, with the aim of work starting in the 2030s.

A report commissioned by the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board found its construction would deliver an estimated £15 billion boost to the economy and create 22,000 jobs.

Burnham said he recognised the financial pressures facing Chancellor Rachel Reeves, but added "significant resource" was going into the construction of HS2.

He said: "Put in place the development funding to help us work with our private sector partners to put in place the designs and the plans to make this real.

"We believe it's the right ask."

He said it made "complete sense" for the government to back the project while the "world rail industry" was already in the UK working on the high-speed line.

The scheme is part of the mayors' "Northern Arc" project, which aims to create an economic corridor that stretches from the Mersey to the Pennines and beyond.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said the government was "reviewing the position we inherited on HS2 and will set out next steps in due course".

They said transport was "essential" to government plans to boost the economy, adding "that's why we're backing better rail connectivity across the north and working closely with local leaders".

"In the meantime, we're pressing ahead with the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which will transform northern rail connectivity", the spokesman added.

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