Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, warned that the North risks facing “Armageddon” unless the HS2 high-speed rail link from Birmingham to Manchester is completed.
He urged Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer to reverse the previous government’s decision to scrap the northern leg of the project, calling for an updated, cost-effective version of the original plan.
Speaking at the Labor Party Conference, Burnham explained that the closure of HS2 in Birmingham would cripple rail services in the North, forcing slower trains and fewer seats. He pointed out that if HS2 trains ran on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), which does not have the capacity to carry double-height carriages and high-speed curves, it would result in “a worse rail service than we currently have.”
Originally intended to connect London and Manchester, HS2 was dropped in 2023 under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to save £36 billion, sparking outrage across the North. Burnham is now pursuing a cheaper alternative, the Midlands-Northwest Rail Link, which would link Lichfield with High Legh, near Warrington, and is funded by private investment.
Burnham said the project would solve the region’s transport problems at a fraction of the original cost of HS2. He stressed that Britain risks “falling asleep towards a transport accident” unless investment is made to modernize the rail infrastructure, especially as the WCML and M6 road reaches capacity.
He also voiced support for the extension of HS2 from Old Oak Common to London’s Euston Station, saying “the people of Northern England should be able to walk into the heart of our capital.”
Burnham’s comments come as the National Audit Office has raised concerns about energy issues following the withdrawal of the northern leg of HS2. He warned that WCML development alone would be too disruptive and insufficient to meet future needs.
