Government Signals New Birmingham–Manchester Rail Link, Effectively HS2’s Northern Leg in All but Name

The government is set to back a new rail connection between Birmingham and Manchester, effectively reinstating the northern section of HS2 under a different banner.

Sources indicate the move will form part of a multi-billion-pound infrastructure investment linked to the long-delayed Northern Powerhouse Rail programme, with plans expected to be announced on Wednesday. The chancellor is expected to signal support for a new Birmingham–Manchester rail line, although construction would only proceed once other rail upgrades across the north have been completed.

Completion of wider improvements connecting Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield is still likely to be many years away, with some estimates suggesting it could take decades.

The northern leg of HS2 was cancelled by former prime minister Rishi Sunak at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester in 2023, alongside a pledge that the money saved would be redirected towards other rail and road projects. While Labour did not commit to reviving HS2’s northern extension in its 2024 general election manifesto, it has since declined to sell land that was originally earmarked for the route north of Birmingham, leaving the option open for a future project.

Northern Powerhouse Rail was first proposed more than a decade ago by then-chancellor George Osborne, with the aim of creating a high-speed east-west rail link between major towns and cities in northern England. Successive governments have scaled back the project, and Labour’s 2024 manifesto only pledged to “improve northern connectivity.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves was expected to outline revised plans last spring, but the announcement has been repeatedly delayed. Reform UK has said it would scrap Northern Powerhouse Rail upgrades entirely if it entered government.

Officials suggest that the new Birmingham–Manchester link could deliver many of the original benefits envisioned under HS2, including faster journey times, improved capacity, and stronger economic links between the Midlands and the North. Analysts note that while the line will be branded differently, it effectively restores the ambitions of the cancelled HS2 northern leg, offering a long-awaited boost to northern transport infrastructure.