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Burnham Backs 185 mph Birmingham-Manchester Rail at 60 % HS2 Cost

6/18/2026

33 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Andy Burnham is pushing a reduced-speed Birmingham-Manchester railway that would revive the HS2 northern leg.
The line would top out at 185 mph on ballasted track in existing corridors and cost about 60 % of the original HS2 estimate.
Financing proposals include an income-tax share, a business-rates supplement similar to London’s Crossrail and land-value capture, though the Treasury and Department for Transport have not set a clear direction.

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Story summary

Andy Burnham is pushing a reduced-speed Birmingham-Manchester railway that would revive the HS2 northern leg.
The line would top out at 185 mph on ballasted track in existing corridors and cost about 60 % of the original HS2 estimate.
Financing proposals include an income-tax share, a business-rates supplement similar to London’s Crossrail and land-value capture, though the Treasury and Department for Transport have not set a clear direction.