Northern Arc

The Northern Arc is a series of economic areas stretching from the North West across the Pennines and connecting into West and South Yorkshire, underpinned by transport links that would include a new railway from Liverpool to Manchester.

The North West section alone, encompassing the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and Warrington, and Greater Manchester, covers an area home to 5.4 million people, two Investment Zones, and an annual economic output of £150 billion.

Growth in the Northern Arc matters across the North of England and beyond, with close trading links with Lancashire, North Wales, and across to Hull and the North East. The Northern Arc plays a key role in this wider economic ecosystem – encompassing the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Airport, the Northern Arc is the international gateway to the North of England.

The potential of this corridor represents a major opportunity to deliver growth in the medium term, complementing longer-term UK-wide growth opportunities.

Analysis suggests that if the potential of the North West can be unlocked through new infrastructure investment, the region could add £90 billion to the UK economy by 2040.

Read the full Northern Arc Working Paper by Metro Dynamics (Word, 7.1MB)