Labour to announce new Birmingham–Manchester rail link after HS2 cancellation

Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce plans to build a new railway line between Birmingham and Manchester, Independent.co understands, just over two years after Rishi Sunak cancelled the HS2 expansion in October 2023.

Ministers are expected to set out the proposals as part of plans for new and improved rail links across the north of England under the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) scheme. The move comes as Labour seeks to counter the threat from Nigel Farage’s Reform party, with Sir Keir said to be at risk of losing dozens of parliamentary seats across the north.

Before he became prime minister Sir Keir said he could not promise a Labour government would reverse the decision to scrap HS2, despite calls from Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham. Mr Sunak said he acted when costs had "doubled" and insisted savings would be spent on improving rail and road links, while the National Audit Office warned the scrapping of HS2 would cost £100m and take up to three years.

Key Topics

Politics, Keir Starmer, Northern Powerhouse Rail, Rishi Sunak, Nigel Farage, Andy Burnham