Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, has warned that the North risks facing “Armageddon” unless the HS2 high-speed line from Birmingham to Manchester is completed.
He urged Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer to reverse the previous government’s decision to scrap the northern leg of the project, calling for a revised, more affordable version of the original plan.
Speaking at the Labor Party Conference, Burnham explained that ending HS2 in Birmingham would worsen rail services in the north, forcing slower trains and fewer seats. He argued that if HS2 trains were to run on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), which does not have the capacity for double-length carriages and high-speed curves, it would result in a “worse train service than we currently have.”
Originally intended to connect London and Manchester, HS2 was scaled back in 2023 under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to save £36 billion, sparking outrage in the North. Burnham is now pushing for a cheaper alternative, the Midlands-Northwest Rail Link, which would connect Lichfield to High Legh, near Warrington, and be backed by private investment.
Burnham said this project would solve regional transport problems at a fraction of the original cost of HS2. He stressed that Britain risks “sleepwalking towards a transport nightmare” unless investment is made in modernizing its rail infrastructure, especially as the WCML and M6 motorways reach capacity.
He also voiced his support for the extension of HS2 from Old Oak Common to London’s Euston Station, saying “people in the north of England should be able to reach the heart of our capital.”
Burnham’s comments come as the National Audit Office raised concerns about capacity issues following the cancellation of the northern part of HS2. He warned that upgrading the WCML alone would be highly disruptive and insufficient to meet future demands.