THE region’s transport authority last night expressed delight at the news.
A Merseytravel spokesman said: "One of the key links we are seeking to improve is the Liverpool to Manchester route; it is something we have been pushing for for a long time, and it is pleasing to know the Government is listening.
"Our chairman, Mark Dowd, and our Integrated Transport Authority members, as well as our officers, led by Neil Scales, have been lobbying hard at all levels, including government, for improvements to this route, including electrification of the line so that we can reduce travel times, increase frequencies and run cleaner, greener trains.
“It makes commercial and environmental sense and would enable us to make rail services better for the hundreds of thousands of passengers using these services every week. It is a key economic and arterial route into two major regional economies, so the case is a strong one."
