Why delivering Manchester’s underground rail network matters for national growth

Manchester is growing at scale. Over the last 10 years, it’s seen a sustained economic growth of 3.1% a year – around double the national average. But for such a fast growing city, Manchester still lacks a public transport system befitting its size and population. What Manchester needs is an underground rail network. And if former Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s ambitious plans come to fruition, the city could get one. But only if these plans are ring-fenced by the central government.

Too many potentially transformative initiatives in the UK have fallen victim to the so-called ‘Valley of Death’: the gap between policy creation and delivery. Manchester’s underground plans must not be allowed to fall through this gap. But the project can be safeguarded by ensuring it is recognised and designated as a national growth priority, and ensuring both the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and central government are aligned on execution and delivery.

Manchester is of a similar size and industrial structure to cities like Barcelona and Budapest – yet, while they have comprehensive metro systems, Manchester does not.

Manchester’s integrated transport network, the Bee Network, has been a major step forward for transport and accessibility in the city, but operating largely at street level, it struggles to cope with rising demand and congestion, placing a ceiling on speed and reliability at peak times. Fast growing cities typically pair these systems with high-capacity underground networks that absorb demand and reduce pressure on roads.

With more cars than ever on Manchester’s roads, it is now one of the UK’s most congested cities, with drivers losing an average of 61 hours to traffic in 2024. These delays aren’t just an inconvenience; they constrain economic growth and social mobility. Without intervention, they will worsen as the city continues to expand.

Burnham’s plans for Manchester to have an underground by 2050 could change that – but only if the plans are safeguarded from public policy’s Valley of Death.

Avoiding that valley means tackling the problems that most often derail infrastructure projects after the planning phase ends and delivery begins. From my experience, two issues stand out above all others: lack of clarity and strategic misalignment. Left unchecked, both quietly undermine projects over time. But addressed early, you increase the chances of success.

Clarity starts with a simple question: what is this project actually for? I’ve seen how projects can be pulled in different directions when they lack a clear end goal. Sometimes, it can slow progress to a halt.

Manchester’s underground does have a clear purpose. It is not just a local transport upgrade, but a way of removing a constraint on future economic performance in one of the UK’s fastest-growing city regions, by increasing public transport capacity, reducing congestion and improving access to jobs and housing. Manchester is a major driver of national growth – so when the city grows, the wider economy benefits.

Designating the underground as a national growth priority makes that link explicit, anchoring the project to the government’s wider economic objectives. Paired with milestone-based funding commitments, this gives the project a clear, defensible purpose that makes it harder to drop or quietly scale back during spending reviews.

Clarity alone isn’t enough. If Whitehall and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) aren’t aligned on how Manchester’s underground will be delivered, the project risks stalling long before construction begins. HS2 offers a cautionary lesson: a government report found that the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd failed to work together, contributing to the cancellation of the northern leg.

To avoid repeating that mistake, central and local government must be aligned from the outset on ownership and decision-making. GMCA should lead day-to-day development, drawing on local expertise, while central government provides long-term funding certainty and political backing, embedded in multi-year agreements that endure beyond individual ministers and spending reviews.

Too many infrastructure projects have fallen into public policy’s Valley of Death – and the North of England has often borne the cost. The UK’s growth strategy cannot be limited to its capital cities. Backing Manchester with a transport system that matches its scale and pace of growth by ensuring Andy Burnham’s underground plans are set up for delivery, not just ambition.