ROCKET MEN

MAYORS PLEDGE NEW TRAIN LINK BETWEEN CITIES, 200 YEARS AFTER WORLD'S FIRST PASSENGER RAILWAY

-  DAVID HUMPHREYS & PAUL BRITTON

THE mayors of Greater Manchester and Merseyside have pledged to improve rail travel between the two regions with the creation of a new public-private Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board.

Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham say the Government has confirmed that options can now be considered to bolster the corridor between Liverpool and Manchester following the scrapping of HS2 last year.

Should the Labour pair be returned in their respective elections next month, they hope to see progress on the project to coincide with the 200th anniversary in 2029 of the creation of the world's first passenger railway following the Rainhill Locomotive Trials, won by Stephenson's Rocket.

After the Government announced plans to do away with the high-speed rail project, Mr Rotheram and Mr Burnham were asked to advise on the best solution for improving links between the two cities as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme, which will continue instead of HS2.

Mr Rotheram said he was opposed to upgrades to existing freight lines rather than promises of new twin track lines across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.