North West leaders back £1bn rail improvement campaign

Leaders from Liverpool and Manchester are backing a campaign to secure £1bn worth of rail improvements across Cheshire and North Wales.

Sir Richard Leese, the leader of Manchester City Council, and Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson are among the senior figures calling for the Government to support the Growth Track 360 campaign.

Manchester Science Partnerships chairman Chris Oglesby and Merseytravel chair Cllr Liam Robinson are also backing the campaign.

Led by a cross-border alliance of business, public sector and political leaders, Growth Track 360 would deliver a massive boost for the North Wales, Cheshire and Wirral economies if successful, connecting them to the planned HS2 line and providing improved links to Liverpool and Greater Manchester.

The £1bn investment would support the creation of 70k jobs over a 20-year period.

Sir Richard Leese said of the campaign: “Connectivity is critical to the strength and development of the region. Improving transport links between North Wales, Cheshire and Greater Manchester will provide a tangible boost to business and support our Northern Powerhouse aspirations.

“Opening up communities, increasing networks, and delivering access to employment opportunities across the regions is key to strengthening our local economies and creating a more effective, connected and ultimately, powerful whole and I am fully behind this much-needed campaign.”

The North Wales and Mersey Dee Rail Task Force (NW&MD) is driving the campaign and so far has the backing of the region’s eight local authorities, as well as the Mersey Dee Alliance, the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, the North Wales Business Council and the North Wales Economic Ambition Board.

Joe Anderson said: “The economies of Merseyside and North Wales have always been closely linked and we strongly support the Growth Track 360 campaign.

“If successful, the campaign will generate significant additional investment in the regions, while increasing employment opportunities, boosting competition and driving forward growth.”

He added: “This investment will help businesses on both sides of the border to shake off the shackles created by disjointed and weak transport links, and create easily accessible transport connections between major developments like the Mersey Waters Enterprise Zone and key employment hubs.”

The campaign is calling for the electrification of the line between Crewe and North Wales, allowing the region to be linked to HS2 with fast London trains continuing to Holyhead and Bangor.

Additionally, Growth Track 360 has outlined the need for investment in better equipped rolling stock and the creation of new services from Liverpool and Liverpool John Lennon Airport to North Wales and Wrexham via Chester.

The campaign also hopes to see the frequency of trains double between the North Wales Coast Line and Wrexham to Manchester through Chester, as well as between Wrexham and Liverpool via Deeside and Bidston.

Elsewhere, the proposals are calling for upgrades to stations and a new smart ticketing system to make planning journeys cheaper and easier for passengers.

Chris Oglesby said: “I’m very pleased to be supporting the Growth Track 360 campaign. We need to reassure fast-growing companies with global ambitions that the Northern Powerhouse is open for business and providing an efficient, affordable public transport network that connects our regional towns and cities and major transport hubs is critical to this.

“Improving connectivity across the North West, North Wales and Cheshire will also open up businesses across the regions, making them more attractive to ambitious, mobile graduates and improving the region’s competitiveness as a centre for excellence in key sectors.”

Cllr Liam Robinson said: “Investing in and improving our public transport networks is crucial if we are to move forward as a connected, successful Northern Powerhouse.

“Transport infrastructure enables the lifeblood of our economy to flow, connecting people with places, and demand with supply. This is key to driving forward our regional economies and ensuring that we are a strong and connected economic force and without an effective transport network, our industries and communities will wither.”

He continued: “I am backing the Growth Track 360 campaign and hope to see this investment unlock the economic potential that is lying dormant in so many of our towns and cities and boosting the ambitious businesses that call our region home.”