Mayors pledge to improve rail capacity between Manchester and Liverpool

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

The Labour candidates, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham, have revealed confirmation from Government has been recieved that options can now be considered to bolster the corridor between Liverpool and Manchester following the scrapping of HS2 last year. Should the pair be returned in their respective elections next month, the two hope to see progress on the project to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger railway in Rainhill in 2029.

After the Government announced plans to do away with the major high-speed rail project, Mr Rotheram and Mr Burnham were invited to advise on the best solution for improved connectivity between the two cities as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme, which will continue in its stead.

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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.

In a letter to Mr Rotheram and councillor Liam Robinson, the leader of Liverpool Council, Huw Merriman MP, the transport minister, confirmed unpalatable options would no longer be considered, opening up the possibility of improved infrastructure to increase capacity, reports The Echo.

Mr Merriman wrote: "I am committed to continuing to work with yourselves and other local leaders toward identifying the best solutions for this corridor.

"I can confirm that we are willing to look at alternatives to using the West Coast Main Line (WCML) into Liverpool and station