The previous government cancelled HS2 North and slashed Northern Powerhouse Rail, but the need for improved rail connections in the North of England can’t be ignored, so local authorities are piecing together the plans themselves. “I was called into Andy Street’s office the day after HS2 North was cancelled and five days later the consortium led by Arup was already mobilised,” Wakeman says. While it dismissed the idea of reviving HS2 North, it seemed willing to hear alternative proposals. This was followed by the prospectus for LMR, put together by Arup on behalf of 12 local authorities, in May 2025. The further extension of NPR across the North would be the final step, once LMR is well underway.