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More than 20 business leaders have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves urging her to back a new rail line between the West Midlands and Greater Manchester in her Autumn Budget later this month.

The letter outlines a series of requests including establishing a steering group between the private sector and local, regional and national government to push forward with a feasibility study for the scheme.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and his Greater Manchester counterpart Andy Burnham have been working with partners on establishing a business case for a new 50-mile line between Handsacre north of Lichfield and High Legh, ten miles west of Manchester Airport.

Known as 'Midlands-Northwest Rail Link', it was first mooted in February following the announcement at the Conservative Party Conference last year that only phase one of HS2 between Birmingham, Solihull and London would go ahead.

Proposals for phase two included new high-speed lines between Birmingham and the East Midlands and Birmingham, Crewe, Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly but these were scrapped by then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

HS2 trains travelling north will instead now switch to conventional tracks at Handsacre.

There have also been continuing questions over whether phase one of the line would run all the way into London Euston station or switch to conventional tracks at Old Oak Common in West London where a new station is under construction.

This new letter has been released by lobbying group The Northern Powerhouse Partnership and signed by senior figures from chambers of commerce, private sector corporations and university professors among others.

It says: "As business leaders committed to delivering economic growth and infrastructure development, we are writing to express our strong support for the Midlands to the North rail link launched last month by the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands and are urging you to use your forthcoming Budget to advance the next steps for this project.

"The strategic value and return on investment for this project are clear: it stands to unlock up to £70 billion in economic growth annually, contributing substantially to regional economies and providing a robust financial return to the Treasury.

"Should the decision rightly be made to proceed with HS2 to Euston, we believe that this must be accompanied by a broader commitment to extending the benefits of that infrastructure investment to the regions alongside the full delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

"The Staffordshire and Cheshire connectors are not just a transport project but a strategic investment that will deliver the long-term growth the Government seeks to champion.

"By connecting Birmingham directly into the east to west Northern Powerhouse Rail network through a more cost-effective and deliverable rail link, this project will deliver 85 per cent of the benefits of HS2 phase 2b at just 60 to 75 per cent of the cost.

"Connecting Birmingham to the Northern cities of Liverpool through to Manchester Airport, Manchester, Leeds and beyond reflects this belief, ensuring that economic benefits are spread across the Midlands and the North, areas that have often been overlooked in previous infrastructure strategies.

"We urge you to progress the rail link in the upcoming Budget by backing the recent recommendations from Sir David Higgins alongside the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands."

The letter called for the Government to maintain ownership of the landholdings which were earmarked for phase 2a between Handsacre and Crewe and reinstitute safeguards for the land not yet acquired, among other requests.

"Please use your budget to start the conversation about the art of the possible and prevent an impending collapse of the West Coast Main Line and with it the M6," it concluded.

"Capacity issues created by the decisions of the previous government have left an unfunded upgrade cost to the conventional network running to the many billions of pounds.

"Instead, this project can keep the North connected to the Midlands and with it the prospect of meaningful growth beyond London alone."

The Autumn Budget is due to be unveiled on October 30 and the Department for Transport has been contacted for comment.

The full list of signatories is:

- Alan Brookes, global chief executive of Arcadis

- Paula Walsh, chairman of º£½ÇÊÓƵIMEA at Arup

- Katy Dowding, chief executive of Skanska º£½ÇÊÓƵ

- Mark Reynolds, group chairman and chief executive of Mace

- Nasreen Karim, chairman of BAME Business Community West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

- Stephen Holmes, managing director of Dragados º£½ÇÊÓƵ & Ireland

- Paul Corcoran, chief executive of Agent Marketing

- Jonny Noble Chief Executive Bradford Business Improvement District

- Ian War, general manager The Broadway

- Eunice Simmons, vice-chancellor at University of Chester

- Simon Moorehead, director of Pippa Beauty

- Clive Memmott, chief executive of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

- Nic Beech, vice-chancellor of University of Salford

- Sara Prowse, chief executive of UA92

- Colin Wood, chief executive of Europe and India at AECOM

- Andy Schofield, vice-chancellor of University of Lancaster

- Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

- Henri Murison, chief executive of Northern Powerhouse Partnership

- Louisa Harrison-Walker, chief executive of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce

- Martin Hathaway, managing director of Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

- Miranda Barker, chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce

- Lorna Fitzsimons, former Greater Manchester LEP board member

- Barry Leahey, president of Playdale Playgrounds