Written question asked by Lord Berkeley (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 28 April 2026. It was answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

High Speed 2 Line

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the mayors of Liverpool, Manchester and areas east of the Pennines have approved the route of High Speed Rail Phase 2b.

Answer

The government is taking forward the High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill to deliver the Northern Powerhouse Rail route into Manchester via Manchester Airport. We have not reversed the previous government’s decision to cancel HS2 Phase 2 and will adapt the bill to deliver only the section of route necessary for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The Government engaged closely with Mayors across the North of England during the development of the Northern Growth Strategy. Compact agreements with each Mayoral Combined Authority show the support for the Programme and the approach and are available online within the Rail Network Correspondence section of the Government's website.

We will continue to work in close collaboration with Mayors and partners across the North throughout the development and delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL16326
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: High Speed 2 line North West Mayors
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

High Speed 2 Line

Secondary information

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