The UK government have outlined the next steps for the development of rail links between Manchester and Liverpool as part of the upcoming ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail’ plans, aiming to boost connectivity between more towns, citiesand rural areas.
Forming part of the Department for Transport‘s (DfT) wider Network North plans, which is receiving over £36 billion in funding, the next phase of the railway redevelopment will see journeys between Manchester and Liverpool massively improved.
Following meetings with local leaders and Northern MPs who expressed support for Northern Powerhouse Rail, the plans are also set to benefit the likes of Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport as well as the two cities’ main stations.
It’s estimated that an additional £12 billion in taxpayer money will be directed towards the overall Powerhouse project with a view to act as a “catalyst for economic growth across the North of England by transforming east-west transport links and better-connecting people to work, education and business opportunities.”
What does this look like on paper? Well, first and foremost, projections have it that train travel time between Manchester and Liverpool is set to be reduced from approximately 50 minutes to around just 35 if all goes to plan.
A statement from DfT goes on to detail how this “will also mean passengers are able to ‘turn up and go’, knowing the next train will only be 10-15 minutes away.”
Moreover, it has been suggested that passenger capacity could also be trebled between the likes of Liverpool and Leeds, offering 2,100 extra seats per hour in each direction and, in turn, having a positive knock-on effect at other Northern stations. Mayor Andy Burnham also feels confident that discussions surrounding a Manchester underground are now also a possibility.
With options also posed for the redesigns of both Manchester Piccadilly and the approach into Liverpool, these sound like real tangible changes we’ll genuinely be able to feel the impact of. Brilliant news – provided the plans stick, of course.
🚆"We have long argued for an underground option at Manchester Piccadilly and finally the door has been opened to it."
Today's announcement from the Transport Secretary is a breakthrough for Greater Manchester and Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Better still, as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail, places like Liverpool, Warrington and several towns east of the Pennines could also benefit from direct services to Manchester Airport, with journey times slashed by almost an hour and passengers from Leeds potentially seeing a 41-minute reduction.
Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North, said of the latest plans: “We welcome the progress of further engagement with Northern political and business leaders. It’s essential that any final route is place-based and meets the ambitions of local leaders for their residents and businesses.
“Northern Powerhouse Rail is a key cornerstone to how we transform the North for generations to come. We look forward to working with the government to realise our shared ambition for a rail network that the people and businesses of the North truly deserve.”
With long-term investment in the huge infrastructure having been boosted since it was initially outlined back in 2020, Northern Powerhouse Rail is slated to be finished any time between 2029 and 2040. It’s still a long way off and the HS2 saga has certainly taught us not to get carried away, but it’s a start.
Featured Images — Hugh Llewelyn (via Flickr)/ HS2/Bob Martin (via Flickr)/Wikimedia Commons
News
Urgent appeal issued following serious road traffic collision involving motorcyclist on M60
Emily Sergeant
An urgent appeal has been issued following a serious road traffic collision on the M60.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are appealing for information and dash-cam footage, as well as urging witnesses to come forward, after a motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries during a collision on the M60 this past Saturday (12 July).
Shortly after 1:40pm, police were called a report of a collision involving a motorbike on the anti-clockwise side of the motorway, between junctions 25 and 24.
When patrols responded and arrived on the scene, they found a man in his 50s – believed to be the motorcyclist – with life-threatening injuries, and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment in an air ambulance, with his family being informed in the process.
An urgent appeal has been issued following a serious road traffic collision involving motorcyclist on the M60 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The M60 was closed in one direction, between Bredbury and Denton, following the crash from around 2:30pm onwards, and all traffic was diverted while investigations were ongoing.
GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit is in the process of conducting enquiries, and at this time, it isn’t believed that any other vehicle was involved in this incident.
This is why police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the collision, or who has dash-cam footage, to get in on contact.
Police have also thanked the members of the public who stopped by the roadside to give the man initial first aid before emergency services arrived.
Police issue update on Oasis arrests and fence-jumpers
Daisy Jackson
Greater Manchester Police have shared an update on the arrests made at the opening two nights of Oasis Live ’25.
More than 100,000 people have flocked up to Heaton Park on Friday and Saturday evening for the first two of five Oasis reunion shows.
And largely, things have gone without a hitch, with only 15 arrests made so far.
The majority of these are arrests on suspicion of fraud, with five men and a woman in three separate incidents attempting to access the Oasis gig with fake accreditation.
Another man was arrests on suspicion of assaulting a member of security staff.
Two more men were arrested on suspicion of assault – a section 18 inside the Oasis gig at Heaton Park, and another for a section 47 outside.
Police have also said that ‘a number of people’ have attempted to access the gigs without tickets, with a perimeter gate breached on Saturday night, but ‘failed to do so’.
Five drones which breached airspace restrictions were seized on Friday.
A Section 34 Dispersal Order, which gives officers the power to direct individuals to leave a specified area and not return for 48 hours, has been in place for each night of the Oasis concerts so far.
This will be re-assessed before each concert this week, with the Gallagher brothers back at Heaton Park on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
GMP around Manchester ahead of the Oasis reunion shows. Credit: GMP
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle said: “We have been planning for these events for several months, working with partners and the organisers to make sure everyone can enjoy the concerts safely. To that end, I’m pleased to say that the first two Oasis homecoming events have been a success.
“What has been especially pleasing is how more than 100,000 people have enjoyed these iconic events safely and without trouble.
“We will have a highly visible presence in and around Heaton Park, and across the city, to ensure the next three events continue to pass safely.
“A number of people without tickets attempted to gain entry through a perimeter gate on Saturday night but failed to do so.
Credit: The Manc GroupCredit: Tiktok benwalkerofficialPolice say ‘just 15’ arrests made at Oasis so far
“We continue to support the event organisers and the local authority with their plans preventing any unauthorised access to the arena site.
“While arrests have thankfully been minimal, we have had to take some suspects to custody, including one after an alleged assault on a steward on Saturday night. We will not tolerate any abuse of anyone doing their job.
“On Friday night we also dealt with a number of breaches of airspace restrictions involving drones where our officers seized five drones and spoke to two other pilots.
“We continue to have airspace restrictions in place on the nights of the concerts and anyone found breaching the one-and-a-half-mile restriction zone could face prosecution.”
Danny Jones -
26th March 2024 
