This is the alternative proposal for the redevelopment of Piccadilly Station that architects say will save 'billions'.
It includes a new underground station for high speed rail services and a high speed rail tunnel under the city centre.
Architects Weston Williamson say their speculative proposal 'offers significant advantages in terms of connectivity and value for money in infrastructure investment'.
Key to the plans is the creation of the 's-shaped' tunnel that would 'allow train services to pass between Manchester Airport and West Yorkshire via Manchester Piccadilly without having to reverse'.
It would, the architects say, allow direct high speed train services from Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow to Leeds via Manchester Piccadilly and direct HS2 services between London and Leeds would also become possible via Manchester.
"This would have the option of deferring the Phase 2b branch between Birmingham and Leeds and so save several billion pounds," Weston Williamson claims.
Under the two current proposals, put forward separately by High Speed Rail Two and Northern Powerhouse Rail, HS2 trains arriving in Manchester would have to reverse out of the station before continuing their journeys.
Both existing plans also propose an above-ground terminus next to the current station.
Weston Williamson, which has designed railway stations in London and Melbourne, say if either of the existing proposals are built 'future generations of Mancunians will continue to suffer the cross-city rail connectivity problems that the city inherited as a legacy of un-coordinated railway planning in the 19th century'.
Its plans also include the creation of a new pedestrianised 'zero carbon' public square and 'new urban quarter' around Store Street, Chapeltown Street and the Ashton canal.
The architects add: "By combining infrastructure for HS2 and NPR into the same integrated project, our High-Speed Station Square offers better value-for-money than developing infrastructure for HS2 and NPR as separate projects.
"The opportunity for extensive new commercial developments adjacent to and above the new station offers the potential for the project to be part funded by the real-estate value of such developments."
As the Manchester Evening News has reported HS2’s plans for the Northern Powerhouse Rail network would require drivers to switch ends mid-trip in Manchester.
Passengers travelling on the proposed NPR network - the east-west railway from Liverpool to Leeds - would see their trains reverse into Manchester Piccadilly under HS2 Ltd’s preferred plan, a council-commissioned report in January said.
Proposals developed by HS2 Ltd would see Manchester Piccadilly’s surface platforms expanded to accommodate high-speed networks HS2 and NPR.
But a report - prepared by engineering firm Bechtel and commissioned by Manchester council - has criticised the scheme, saying it justs ‘adds on’ to the original designs for the Piccadilly expansion - which only had HS2 in mind.
HS2’s second option - the addition of two underground platforms below the original surface extension - ‘suffers from the same issue of poor orientation for east-west NPR services, though it does eliminate reversal of through NPR services in the station,’ it said.
In February Boris Johnson gave the green light for massive rail investment for northern cities - bringing both HS2 and east-west rail links to Greater Manchester and beyond.
But an independent report into how HS2 should proceed, led by Douglas Oakervee and published on the same day, recommended 'pausing' the northern section of high speed rail for a six-month review.
Speaking in January a Department for Transport spokesperson said: "The Government has commissioned the Oakervee review to provide advice on whether and how to proceed with HS2. A final decision on HS2 will be taken in due course.
"We will also take into account further advice on the station design at Manchester Piccadilly for HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, including advice commissioned recently by Transport for the North."
