JOURNEY times between Liverpool and Manchester are set to be slashed thanks to investment in the region’s railways.

At yesterday’s budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced £85m was earmarked for creating a faster and more frequent passenger service.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said the cash would mean a 15 minute reduction in journeys between the North West’s two largest cities.

The work will also have an impact on the other side of the Pennines, cutting more than half and hour off a trip between Liverpool and Leeds by the end of 2016.

The section of track to be developed , the Ordsall Chord, will link Manchester’s Piccadilly and Victoria stations as part of the Northern Hub project.

The investment was welcomed by Garston and Halewood MP and shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle, who told the Daily Post:“The prospect of faster journey times from Liverpool to both Manchester and Leeds will be a real boost to the city after 2016.

“This is just one part of the wider Northern Hub scheme which is vital for the regional economy, especially at a time when the Regional Development Agency has been axed and so many jobs are being lost thanks to the speed and scale of the government’s cuts.”

There are hopes the Northern Hub scheme could bring up to £4bn in benefits to the north of England, and create up to 23,000 new jobs.

Graham Botham, Network Rail’s programme sponsor, said: “We are delighted with the funding announcement from the Chancellor today, which will allow Network Rail to bring forward a stage of development of the Northern Hub plans.

“The project will help deliver faster, more frequent journeys between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds and stimulate economic growth across the North.”