British Chancellor George Osborne offered support to an ambitious plan for a west-east high speed rail link across Northern England on Tuesday.
Five cities, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle, met the chancellor to press for a commitment for what will be the biggest ever infrastructure program in the north of England, costing 15 billion pounds (25 billion U.S. dollars) and taking 15 years to build.
The meeting took place just a few meters for the terminus of what was the world’s first inter-city link, the Liverpool to Manchester Railway. That link, paid for by Liverpool businessmen, opened in 1830 and kick-started a global railway age.
Only now, after almost two centuries, is that pioneer link being electrified to increase capacity.
The so-called HS3 link topped a shopping list presented to the Chancellor in Manchester, with the five cities saying better road and rail connectivity across the north of England is vital for economic growth.
In June Osborne spoke of the need to create a "Northern powerhouse" by improving the collaboration and links between cities.
Osborne said his basic response for the call for HS3 was a "yes" and added he expected to make announcements in his upcoming autumn statement about connectivity and infrastructure in the north of England.
“I honestly believe you can achieve a real economic renaissance in the north,” the Chancellor told the five leaders.
The city leaders insisted they want to see action now, saying their proposals, presented to Osborne in Manchester Tuesday, could increase road capacity by 150 percent and make train journey times 55 percent faster.
Northern England is divided by a mountain range, the Pennines, known as the "backbone of England," with the cross Pennine M62 motorway the highest road in England.
The plan said a new 125 mph line across the Pennines would cut journey times between Manchester and Leeds from 50 to 30 minutes. It would mean building a new tunnel through the mountain range.
The city leaders say the proposals would also deliver new trains, faster routes and better access to ports and airports -- improving freight and logistics movements across the country.
The report "One North: Superconnected Cities " was launched by Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle, supported by four other Northern cities, Hull, Bradford, Wakefield and York. Enditem