“This announcement represents a genuinely significant moment for the North. Long-term, coordinated investment in connectivity is fundamental to unlocking productivity, attracting private capital and supporting sustainable growth across our city regions. Northern Powerhouse Rail has the potential to be transformational if it is delivered with pace, clarity and commitment.
“From a property and regeneration perspective, faster and more reliable east–west links are critical. They enable labour markets to function at scale, support housing delivery in the right places, and give businesses the confidence to invest for the long term. The Liverpool-Manchester Railway, in particular, will be instrumental in driving inclusive growth, linking two great innovation cities.
“As members of the Partnership Board, we have been supporting the Mayors and the Liverpool-Manchester Railway to design an ambitious approach to delivering this key infrastructure. This strategy provides an opportunity to accelerate that momentum widely across the North. The focus must now be on delivery. Aligning national investment with local plans, mayoral leadership and private-sector partnership will be key to ensuring this funding translates into real economic benefit for communities, businesses and working people across the region.”
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Stephen Cowperthwaite is Managing Director for Liverpool and UK Regions at global commercial real estate advisor Avison Young, and a member of the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board.
He has over 30 years’ experience in property and regeneration, having supported local authorities, investors, asset managers and developers on complex, large-scale schemes. He chairs the Liverpool Place Partnership, a private sector collective established to deliver investment into the region and advocate for continued regeneration and placemaking.