Manufacturers will press ministers today to resurrect plans for a high-speed rail line reaching Leeds and Manchester as part of a large strategic investment to get lorries off Britain’s roads and cut emissions.

Business lobby group Make UK and Barclays Corporate Bank said research showed companies believe the move would significantly increase passenger numbers and free up capacity for rail freight on existing lines.

A survey of 200 manufacturers showed that nine in 10 believe the original high-speed rail line HS2 should still go ahead, while a similar number said there should be greater investment in faster connections between Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Hull and Newcastle.

HS2 has suffered huge cost overruns and is being overhauled under new management. The transport minister, Heidi Alexander, said this year that problems with the line would delay its opening beyond 2033.

Many of Labour’s regional mayors support moves to extend the line to Manchester to boost economic growth across the north of England.

However, Keir Starmer, the prime minister, has indicated there is little cash available to extend HS2, even under “HS2-lite” plans that would have allowed for more capacity north of Birmingham.

Verity Davidge, the director of policy at Make UK, said: “It’s clear that the current levels of rail capacity aren’t suitable for the levels of freight traffic the government is predicting in the future.

“As a result, if industry is to make greater use of rail then we need the extra capacity which a high-speed link for passenger traffic would free up.

“This would provide a valuable opportunity to invest in multi-mode hubs which would improve connectivity between our major ports and better integrate road and rail routes through the spine of the country.”

The survey found that road is overwhelmingly the main mode of transport for nine in 10 manufacturers, with six in 10 regarding road investment as critical for their just-in-time operations. This compares with just under half (46%) for investment in ports and just under four in 10 for rail.

Lee Collinson, the head of manufacturing, transport and logistics at Barclays UK Corporate Bank, said: “Upgrading and integrating our road, rail and port systems is crucial for boosting productivity, decarbonising transport and supporting long-term competitiveness.”

The biggest passenger satisfaction survey in the history of Britain’s railway has launched.   

The Rail Customer Experience Survey marks another important step in putting customers at the heart of the railway.  

Approximately ten thousand passengers a month will be asked their views on the rail network, while travelling to their destination, with the aim of speaking to an estimated 130,000 passengers every year.  

Passengers will be able to voice their experiences and share their views on their journeys and areas for improvement.  

The first set of results will become publicly available on an interactive online dashboard in Autumn 2025. Passenger views will be used to help train operators improve the day-to-day service for passengers and inform industry decision-making for the improvement of rail services. This way, they can be at the forefront of driving systemic change to improve Britain’s railways and make sure operators are delivering what customers want and need. 

The survey is a collaboration between Rail Delivery Group, Department for Transport, Network Rail, Transport Focus and the Customer and Revenue Growth team, previously part of the Great British Railways Transition Team.  

Jacqueline Starr, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group said: 

“The industry is excited to offer this new and meaningful way for customers’ voices to be effectively and consistently heard across the rail network. No matter which train operator you travel with or where you are headed, you’ll have the opportunity to speak directly to us and know that you’re being listened to.  

“We’re going to make it easier for customers to share their views with the industry, and it will help the industry put those views into practice. Making a real difference for customers. And, as the industry moves towards the creation of Great British Railways, this helps us to make sure that where there is best practice, it is spread across the network so that everyone can benefit, no matter where they live.” 

Rail Minister Lord Hendy said: 

“Great British Railways is putting passengers back at the heart of our transport network. Hearing directly from those that use our trains about how to improve them will help us return services to a standard we can be proud of again. 

“We are proud to deliver this ambitious project alongside organisations across the rail sector, coming together to commit to change and improvements for the nation’s railways.” 

Laura Shoaf, Chair of Shadow Great British Railways said:  

“The launch of this survey marks a significant step forward for Britain’s railways.  By launching the largest-ever passenger survey, Shadow Great British Railways partners are putting customers at the heart of everything we do. 

“Talking directly to ten thousand passengers every month — while they travel — will give us an unprecedented understanding of the real passenger experience. 

“As we progress toward establishing Great British Railways, this survey is a vital tool to identify what’s working well and best practices are shared across the entire network — so that all passengers benefit from consistent, high-quality service.” 

Natasha Grice, Director at the independent watchdog Transport Focus said: 

“It’s critical that we listen to what passengers tell us are the most important areas to improve upon when it comes to the experiences they are having across the rail industry. The new survey is going to do exactly that, by providing a significant increase in the amount of feedback we hear. This can only be a good thing, and will help us all to remain focused on delivering improvements to the passenger experience. 

“As well as publishing our quarterly scorecard highlighting how operators are performing across a number of industry metrics, we will be producing a 6 – monthly official statistics report starting in May 2026.” 

Suzanne Donnelly, Customer & Revenue Growth Director for Network Rail said:  

“The launch of this survey is a powerful example of the whole railway sector coming together to deliver a step change in rail’s customer insight capability. 

“Developed collaboratively by the Rail Delivery Group, Network Rail, the Department for Transport, train operating companies, and other partners, this programme puts the passenger voice at the centre of our shared decision-making.  

“It lays a crucial foundation for understanding current customer needs and creating the right conditions for Great British Railways — which will ultimately help to rebuild public trust and encourage more people to travel by train.” 

This survey replaces the National Rail Passenger Survey and comes in at more than double the total sample size. To be held continuously with no planned end date, the rolling survey will cover the entire rail industry, bringing together elements from previous industry-level surveys for the first time. This new methodology leverages new technology to pinpoint the train a respondent is travelling on. It will help to fully reflect the everyday experience of rail passengers, providing a common framework for the whole industry to measure passenger satisfaction, with results data providing new, universal benchmarks that can be compared across the whole network.