New high-speed rail link and station set for Warrington

A high-speed railway line and station are set to be built in Cheshire.

The new infrastructure will be built in Warrington, after plans were unveiled by leaders from Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority (CWCA), on Friday.

The proposal would see the station built at Warrington Bank Quay, according to the authority, which said it would be working with the Liverpool-Manchester Rail Board to bring the rail link to the region, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It comes after the region was given the government green light to form the CWCA in February, giving it control over transport-related powers. Residents are set to elect a mayor next year.

The link will come as part of phase two of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project, a scheme aiming to deliver faster and more frequent trains across the North, through new and improved lines and stations.

The authority unveiled plans at a conference at Alderley Park on Friday - just days after the CWCA unveiled its £10m investment programme, as part of the 30-year mayoral investment fund settlement.

CWCA chair, councillor Louise Gittins, said: "Opportunities such as Warrington Bank Quay are of national significance and capable of driving long-term prosperity."

The CWCA is now looking to formally join the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board, subject to a board decision next moth.

The board's chair, Huw Merriman, said: "As the entire line of route will now be covered by combined authorities, there is maximum potential to deliver not just a railway but a series of growth zones.

"It turbo charges the project and maximises the business case; cementing the railway as a growth opportunity as well as a set of tracks."