Liverpool - Manchester Railway Partnership Board

Searching for industry-leading partners to join the Liverpool - Manchester Railway Partnership Board

The Liverpool - Manchester Railway Board (LMRB) is looking for industry-leading partners to join a Partnership Board to engage with the Board and offer support and advice to the development and delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).

On 4 October 2023 the Government at the time announced the cancellation of HS2 north of Birmingham and, simultaneously, published their Network North Command Paper, setting out their £36 billion plan to improve the country’s transport. This included a commitment to provide funding to enable Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) to proceed in line with previous plans to better connect Liverpool and Manchester.

After engaging with local Leaders, the Government at the time subsequently announced their intention to proceed with NPR on the basis of a Liverpool to Manchester route which included intermediate stations at Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport, using broadly the former HS2 Phase 2b route within Greater Manchester. The Government agreed that there would be further examination of:

• options for the station design at Manchester Piccadilly, including an underground station,
• routes between Warrington and Liverpool including transformational station options.

On 21st May 2024, Parliament voted that the HS2 Phase 2b hybrid Bill would be adapted to provide the powers to deliver the section of NPR between Manchester Piccadilly station and Millington / Rostherne as it represents the fastest possible means of consenting that part of the route. It is anticipated that the remainder, unconsented, part of the Liverpool – Manchester NPR route will be delivered under a separate hybrid Bill or similar consenting process.

Both the Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, and the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, in their 2024 Mayoral election manifestos, made a commitment to establish a Liverpool to Manchester Railway Board to support the development and delivery of NPR between Liverpool and Manchester (see Appendix 1 below for Railway Board membership). The aim of the Board is to maximise the economic and social benefits of the new railway and will advance a place-based, bottom-up approach to deliver world-class connectivity and turbocharge the economy of the North West. As part of its activities, the Railway Board will work with the government and engage with the private sector and major research/ educational institutions to help build the business case for the most ambitious line possible. One of the key means of engaging with the private sector will be through the establishment of a “Partnership Board”. Expressions of Interest are now sought for membership of this Partnership Board.

In expressing an interest candidates should be mindful of any potential future conflicts of interest in respect of NPR-related contracts with any of the constituent authorities of which the Railway Board is comprised.

Role and Purpose of Partnership Board

The Partnership Board will support the Liverpool - Manchester Railway Board, and offer strategic advice, and support to the development and delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).

You will bring your own and your organisation’s knowledge and expertise to advance a placed-based, bottom-up approach to building a strong and robust business case which delivers the maximum connectivity, economic and social benefits from the Liverpool-Manchester NPR scheme.

This is a chance to contribute meaningfully to the future economic growth of the North and to deliver excellent connectivity between the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester.

The Chair of the Partnership Board may be invited to attend certain Railway Board meetings to actively promote and enable closer collaboration between all partners.

Membership

The Railway Board are looking for no more than 20 members to join the Partnership Board.

We are looking for private sector business or business group leaders, industry specialists or major research/ educational institutions and welcome expressions of interest from companies with socially responsible models and principles.

Members should have operations and meaningful ties to one or more areas along the NPR route (Manchester, Trafford, Liverpool, Warrington, St Helens, Knowsley, Halton, Cheshire East, Cheshire West), or should set out why they should be considered if they do not have operations or meaningful ties in these areas.

Members should have experience of major strategic projects and/or be able to support the board with expertise in one or more of the below areas:

• Business case development
• Skills development
• Land ownership and development
• Engineering
• Visitor economy
• Economic development and analysis
• Freight and transport
• Net Zero industries
• International markets and investment
• Accessibility and inclusion
• Communications and consultations
• Working with government
• Place-making
• Regeneration and development

The Railway Board is seeking a geographically representative Board and especially welcome a range of applicants that reflect the diversity of our Northern communities.

If selected, members will be required to meet, in person, at least quarterly at a roving location. Participation will be on voluntary basis for a minimum of 12 months.

Members will be expected to declare any interest in relation to any item on a meeting agenda.

If you are interested in joining the Liverpool - Manchester Railway Partnership Board, please set out in no more than three pages why your organisation would like to be considered, how it may contribute to the development of the NPR business case, a senior nominated individual who you would anticipate sitting on the Panel, and how you might reflect the diverse communities of our region. A CV for your nominated individual, limited to three pages, will be accepted as an appendix to your Expression of Interest. We will examine all written EOIs before beginning a sifting and decision-making process, and then inform successful applicants. Applicants may be required to attend a short interview as part of the sifting and decision-making process.

Please send your EOI by email to the.mayor@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk no later than 5pm,Thursday 29^th August, with the subject line “Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board – Expression of Interest”.

Appendix 1

The Liverpool to Manchester Railway Board comprises: