New bill to give Midlands and North biggest rail upgrade ‘since the Victorian era’

Transport minister Wendy Morton opened the debate on the second reading of the high speed rail bill, which focuses on the development between Crewe and Manchester.

Morton told the House of Commons that this bill represents the biggest rail updates to the Midlands and the North “since the Victorian era”.

The development will “half journey times between Manchester and Birmingham” and take the journey time from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston to “one hour and eleven minutes”.