Mayor reveals 'positive' talks over new rail line to Liverpool

AS much as £20bn could be available to fund a “modern railway for the 21st century” between Liverpool and Manchester using the money saved from scrapping the Northern leg of HS2, mayor Andy Burnham has suggested.

- ROB PARSONS

The Greater Manchester mayor said he was hopeful after meeting with Rail Minister Huw Merriman that the region’s leaders could “salvage something” from the decision by Rishi Sunak to cancel the Manchester and Crewe section of the high-speed line.

Mr Merriman met with Mr Burnham, Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram and officials from Manchester Airport in what the mayor described as an ‘open and honest discussion’ about improving rail links across the North West.

The Government’s controversial ‘Network North’ document promised that with the £36bn saved from HS2, some £12bn would be spent ‘to better connect Manchester to Liverpool’.