Government plans to use money saved on HS2 to extend Metrolink to Wigan

After much speculation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday that the second leg of the high-speed rail network, from Birmingham to Manchester, was being scrapped.

Instead, the money will be redirected to other transport projects.

Mr Sunak, speaking at the Conservative Party conference, said: “I am ending this long-running saga. I am cancelling the rest of the HS2 project and in its place, we will reinvest every single penny, £36bn, in hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands.

“This means £36bn of investment in the projects that will make a real difference across our nation.”

A programme named Network North was announced, which aims to “build better connectivity across the North and Midlands, with faster journey times, increased capacity and more frequent, reliable services”.

Nearly £4bn will be given to six northern cities to improve connectivity, which could pay for schemes such as the extension of the Metrolink to Wigan.

It is more than four years since Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham announced Wigan, Bolton and Stockport were next in line to be connected to the network and so far trams have not arrived in the borough.

Wigan will see a share of £300m pledged for nine road schemes, as this includes the long-awaited east-west route between the M61 at Westhoughton and M6 at Orrell, where diggers have recently been spotted.

Motorists will benefit from a £3.3bn long-term road resurfacing fund targeting potholes, while bus passengers will save money with the £2 fare extended until the end of 2024, instead of rising to £2.50 as planned.

Network North includes £12bn for links between Liverpool and Manchester to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail, which now includes Hull, and the Government pledged to deliver “faster and more frequent trains between all the North’s main cities”.

A £2.5bn fund to transform transport in 14 rural counties, smaller cities and towns was announced, along with £700m to provide more buses and more frequent routes.

A total of £100m will be shared across the North and Midlands for London-style contactless and smart ticketing on public transport.

Wigan Council leader Coun David Molyneux said: “We had publicly supported the continuation of HS2 to Manchester in recognition of the opportunities it would bring, so it’s incredibly disappointing to see it cancelled after so much energy and public money had been spent.

“We welcome any investment and clearly better transport links are desperately needed across the North, but it’s difficult to provide any detailed reaction without further clarity from the Government.

“A number of the projects mentioned as part of Network North are pre-existing schemes, with both the east-west road link and a Metrolink extension to the east side of the borough part of the council’s or the combined authority’s plans for years.

“I find myself in a similar position to fellow leaders across the region in that we have not been consulted or had any engagement prior to the announcement so we will await any further details.”