Overview
- Ministers are expected to confirm going ahead with Northern Powerhouse Rail on Wednesday and outline a plan for a new Birmingham–Manchester line to follow.
- Any Birmingham–Manchester build would come only after NPR is delivered, with construction unlikely to start before 2036.
- NPR is set to begin with upgrades to lines in Yorkshire, followed by a new Manchester–Liverpool route and a wider electrification push across northern railways.
- The government says it is learning lessons from HS2 and stresses this is not a reinstatement of the cancelled HS2 northern leg.
- Key details such as the precise route, station choices, costs and a firm timetable have not been published, with options still under consideration.