Liverpool should not have to choose between Northern Powerhouse and High Speed rail, according to Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already committed to fund the Northern Powerhouse transpennine link between Manchester and Leeds - in what many see as a pre-election pledge, attempting to lure voters in post- industrial heartlands.
However, he refused to commit to the continuation of HS2, claiming that there was a 'weak business case' for the project.
He also failed to commit to the wider Northern Powerhouse rail plan, that would start at Liverpool.
Fears of the cancellation of HS2 have escalated following the confirmation by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that there will now be a review into the project, promising a 'fresh analysis' considering all the evidence available.
Cost is at the heart of the Government's concern.
It was reported by the Independent in July that the cost of the rail project could increase by than £30bn, totalling between £70bn and £85bn, rather than the £56bn that was initially planned.
A decision on the future of the project is likely to be reached by the end of the year.
Nonetheless, the Government's hesitation has worried the city's business community.
Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID company said: "This latest announcement once again spreads doubt, uncertainty and frustration among business leaders in the north."
Mr Addy claimed that the Government's failure to listen to the 'strong and convincing case that HS2 without Liverpool is nothing short of lunacy.'
It is believed that the HS2 links would create an additional £15bn of economic growth for the Liverpool City region, 24,000 new jobs and 11,000 new homes.
Integrating HS2 into Northern Powerhouse rail would also benefit the maritime and tourism industry, generating potentially 3.7 million more visitors to the city per year.
Cancelling HS2 will do little to reduce fears that economic inequalities are widening between the North and London.
A paper published on Monday from the left-wing think tank, Institute for Public Policy research, revealed that planned spending in the north-west is one-and-a-half times less compared to London.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has long campaigned for better rail links in the north and sees both HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail as essential for the north's economic future.
He said: “We desperately need government to reverse the underinvestment in the North’s transport infrastructure that has acted as a brake on our economic performance for too many years. Scrapping HS2 would reduce the potential benefits of Northern Powerhouse Rail, which we are crying out for, both to increase passenger and freight capacity, and to reduce journey times from West to East.
"London didn’t have to choose between Crossrail and HS2 and the North should not have to choose between HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. We need both.”
