HS2 link should include Liverpool connection, report advises

According a report conducted by ResPublica, connecting Liverpool to the high speed rail route HS2 would maximise the city’s contribution to the Northern Powerhouse.

The report entitled, Ticket to Ride: How high speed rail for Liverpool can realise the Northern Powerhouse, advised that the connection should include the Liverpool City Region and Manchester and further eastern areas as part of the proposed trans-Northern high speed line.

The study also recommends that Liverpool could finance up to two thirds of the link through the retention of business rates and employer National Insurance contributions. In addition, it proposed the establishment of a new City Region Business Senate, measures to raise the contribution of Liverpool’s universities and a renewed focus on the economic potential of the city centre.

Angela Eagle, MP for Wallasey and Shadow Business Secretary, said: “This report rightly highlights the strong economic performance of the North West in recent years, and its potential for further growth in the future. But without a connection into the high speed rail network this growth will be cut off.

“The resources of the North West have long been under-appreciated, but its assets such as the Port of Liverpool are of national economic significance.

“The Port's freight potential, and the dynamic business community in Liverpool, mean that businesses around the country will benefit from connecting Liverpool into the high speed rail network, and this report makes a powerful and incisive case for that investment.”