The UK has announced that a new Liverpool–Manchester line will be built, with three new stations in Warrington, Manchester Airport, and Manchester Piccadilly, ensuring faster services in northern England.
Improvements to the busy Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central stations are also being considered, alongside the government’s work with the Liverpool City Region to explore options for a major city center regeneration project.
“This is excellent news for the North and for the whole country. It is encouraging to see the government fully supporting the project from the outset, allowing for rigorous planning and implementation that takes into account the lessons learned from HS2, as well as keeping options open for addressing North-South capacity on the West Coast Main Line,” said Huw Merriman, chair of the Liverpool-Manchester Rail Partnership.
The current direct journey between Liverpool and Manchester Airport takes one hour and 25 minutes, with 21 stops over a distance of just 46.6 km, while the Reading–London Paddington route takes 22 minutes over 35 miles.
The new direct line between Liverpool and Manchester Airport will provide a major boost for tourists, commuters, and the business community.
To add extra capacity to Manchester Airport in the shorter term, plans were approved on January 14 to extend the existing station platforms so that they can accommodate longer and more frequent trains, with an investment of GBP 115 million (EUR 133 million).
Meanwhile, there are only two fast trains per hour between Leeds and Manchester, an extremely popular route that suffers from severe overcrowding.
The Liverpool-Manchester line project is part of the new Northern Powerhouse Rail investment plan announced on January 14, 2026, and is included in the third phase of the strategy. This line is expected to be completed around 2030.
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