PLANS for the scrapped section of HS2 received a mixed reception from unions and campaigners as they were unveiled today.

The proposed new 50-mile railway line between the Midlands and north-west England would be slower and cheaper than the original proposals which were axed amid spiralling costs by former prime minister Rishi Sunak last October.

Today a report by a coalition of private-sector organisations led by former HS2 Ltd chairman Sir David Higgins found the alternative line would be critical to boost capacity for passengers and freight moving between the regions.

It said there was a “golden opportunity” to connect the line with the proposed east-west Northern Powerhouse Rail, creating a new link between Manchester and Birmingham.

The report, which was commissioned by the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, did not provide an estimated cost of the new project.

It said financing should be “maximised from the private sector,” with central and local governments “partnering to fund the balance.”

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burham said: “The report is clear: if we fail to put in place a plan soon to fix rail capacity and connectivity between the North and the Midlands, the already congested West Coast Main Line and M6 will become major barriers to economic growth in the UK.”

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker added: “Additional rail capacity to and from the north is vital for the West Midlands.”

TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said that while her union’s members welcome commitments to improve high-speed connectivity between the Midlands and north-west England, “this falls far short of HS2 being built in full.” 

She said: “The original plan for HS2 offered the most comprehensive solution to address the long-term needs of our rail network and to boost local, regional and national economic growth.”

TSSA vowed to work with the government, businesses and local authorities to ensure that this project delivers “the maximum benefits for communities and the country as a whole.”

Environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion however welcomed the alternative plan, as HS2 was “always hindered by the vanity of 225mph.”

A spokeswoman said: “Nobody needs that speed, but resulted in it requiring the damaging straight-line route, the ridiculously heavy weight engineering and, above all, the vast ecological rampage that has created a ribbon of desert from London to Birmingham.”