Well, guys, the National Infrastructure Commission (chair Lord Adonis) is seeking submissions on Northern Connectivity including specific questions on international.
Thankyou for drawing attention to this, anothertyke. I look forward to putting an idea or two forward for consideration by Lord Adonis' commission. I was always very impressed by this guy during his brief tenure as Minister of State for Transport and later Secretary of State for Transport over a period spanning just 20 months or so. It is telling that the subsequent Con/LD administration ran with so many of his innovations rather than casting them aside. If anyone can bring some positive progress to UK transport infrastructure planning, I'd back Andrew Adonis to deliver.
On a day when our hot topic of discussion is the cost of a London Underground Station upgrade, I am encouraged that the item at the top of my state infrastructure shopping-list may not be so unattainable after all. That is, the Manchester Airport Western rail-link, opening up access to Chester, Wales, The Wirral and possibly offering alternative access to Merseyside generally. I had feared that the mooted £500M cost of this project would see it sidelined in perpetuity. But, if £560M is good for Bank Station, then why not £500M to give Cheshire and North Wales state-of-the-art connectivity to the world via Manchester Airport? That will be my own key proposal for the Committee's consideration.
However, another issue which could be indirectly addressed by this - if Manchester Airport Station were to be enabled for through-trains continuing westwards - would be the release of further paths on the existing access route. Note how cities such as Hull have bemoaned their inability to secure direct access to Manchester Airport due to lack of paths on the final part of the journey. The priority given by councils in both North Wales and Humberside demonstrate how important direct rail access to MAN's intercontinental network of air services is deemed to be by local government. If £560M for Bank Underground can be justified, £500M for this certainly must be.
My other proposals for NW infrastructure innovation would not be directly airport-related, so do not merit in-depth discussion on this particular forum. However, briefly, these would include a transpennine motorway linking Sheffield with points west; progressing the already-planned NPR rail corridor [re-branded from HS3]; full integration of public transport ticketing [being progressed]; replacing Liverpool Lime St with a new unrestricted terminus; incorporating within [existing] proposals to upgrade Manchester Piccadilly Station a proper centralised bus interchange for Manchester City Centre. Very few cities of Manchester's size lack a focal-point bus station. Random bus termini strewn around every available side-street in Central Manchester is one of the city's least appealing features. And prospective users don't know where the heck their buses are! Buses have become the forgotten link in Greater Manchester, but many travellers still depend on them. Time to redress their 'Cinderella' status.