The Manchester Evening News (MEN) and the Liverpool Echo are for the first time launching a joint campaign to call for the government to fund a new fast train line from Liverpool to Manchester. It was promised by the Tory government and today the publisher says the two mayors - Burnham and Rotheram - are going to London to ask for it to be part of the Spending Review. Both titles say they will be looking at the lack of infrastructure spending in the North, spending per head on transport in London is significantly more than in the North, and the economic benefits of a fast route between two of the North's biggest cities.
Manchester Evening News editor Sarah Lester and Liverpool Echo editor Maria Breslin came together to issue a statement: “Today, two great Northern cities and two historic Northern brands are coming together to call on the government to fully finance a vital fast train route between Liverpool and Manchester - starting to correct years of unfair funding to transport infrastructure in the North West.
“It is absurd that Manchester and Liverpool are just 40 miles apart but a journey between the two is rarely straightforward.
“This plan has the potential to supercharge the economy of the North West and wider regions and link together two of the UK’s great cities.
“It will bring potentially life-changing opportunities to those who live in Manchester and Liverpool, creating jobs, and driving regeneration in the way the Elizabeth Line has done in London.
“It is unprecedented for the Echo and the MEN to come together in this way but we feel the potential benefits to the region outweigh any traditional rivalries.”
Andy Burnham has given this quote for their pieces: "Steve and I have made the case over many years for better rail connectivity across the North West. While we haven't always had Whitehall with us, the M.E.N. and the ECHO have never left our side. We appreciate the staunch support that the two papers have given to our campaign. We think there's no reason why the two cities that gave commuter railways to the world 200 years ago can't do it again. We came together 200 years ago to give commuter railways to the world and we are doing it again in the 21st century."
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