King’s Speech to revive pared down HS2 bill

Aimed at facilitating a new route between Liverpool and Manchester, the modified High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Bill would allow for the development of new stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport.

In his speech to Parliament on Wednesday, King Charles III is expected to include the bill in his list of the government’s priorities for the next year.

The HS2 bill was largely eviscerated by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when he scrapped the £36bn high-speed rail link between Birmingham and Manchester in 2023.

However, a small part has been retained to enable this government’s £45bn push for Northern Powerhouse Rail. This is a small section where NPR and HS2 had been meant to overlap, which includes a stretch leading into Manchester Airport and up to Manchester Piccadilly.

It is this portion that makes up the present-day bill, which secretary for transport Heidi Alexander moved back in February to carry over into the 2026-27 parliamentary session.

By keeping the bill in play, the government is giving itself the powers required to see this bit of track delivered and potentially build the new stations.

When introducing a motion to carry forward the HS2 bill, Alexander said: “This is categorically not about reinstating HS2 north of the West Midlands, and neither are these motions about addressing the longer-term capacity constraints of the West Coast Main Line between Manchester and Birmingham.

“Instead, the motions are simply focused on ensuring that the government follow the speediest and most logical consenting route to progressing plans for a new rail line between Liverpool and Manchester—a line that will also call at Warrington and Manchester airport,” she continued.

“This new line, which will connect two great cities in the North of England, is part of the second phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail, which this government committed to last month.”