Two sister newspapers from rival cities have joined forces to call for a new rail link between their respective patches.

Manchester and Liverpool are traditionally seen as rivals, but their daily newspapers – both owned by Reach plc – are speaking with one voice on the need for a new train line between the two cities.

Although they are less than 40 miles apart, the existing rail links between the two cities are slow and convoluted.

Now Manchester Evening News editor Sarah Lester and Liverpool Echo editor Maria Breslin have come together to issue a joint statement in support of the campaign, which featured on the respective front pages today.

It read: “Today, two great Northern cities and two historic Northern brands are coming together to call on the government to fully finance a vital fast train route between Liverpool and Manchester – starting to correct years of unfair funding to transport infrastructure in the North West.

“It is absurd that Manchester and Liverpool are just 40 miles apart but a journey between the two is rarely straightforward.

“This plan has the potential to supercharge the economy of the North West and wider regions and link together two of the UK’s great cities. It will bring potentially life-changing opportunities to those who live in Manchester and Liverpool, creating jobs, and driving regeneration in the way the Elizabeth Line has done in London.

“It is unprecedented for the Echo and the MEN to come together in this way but we feel the potential benefits to the region outweigh any traditional rivalries.”

The moves comes as Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool city regional mayor Steve Rotheram travel to London to put the case for the rail link to be included in the government’s forthcoming Spending Review.

A recent report claimed the new line was the ‘missing link’ that could unlock £90bn of economic growth for the region.

Mr Burnham said: “Steve and I have made the case over many years for better rail connectivity across the North West. While we haven’t always had Whitehall with us, the MEN and the Echo have never left our side.

“We appreciate the staunch support that the two papers have given to our campaign. We think there’s no reason why the two cities that gave commuter railways to the world 200 years ago can’t do it again.”

Opinion pieces in support of the campaign, written by Echo political editor Liam Thorp and Manchester political writer Jo Timan, have also been published in each of the two titles,.

Wrote Jo: “The rivalry between the two great cities of the North West runs deep – but when something serious requires unity we stand together.

“It is ludicrous that travelling from Liverpool to Manchester and vice-versa is often a slow and frustrating experience. It is ridiculous that it is a journey that commuters cannot rely on and businesses and tourists find frustrating and convoluted.

“A new line between our cities could slash journey times to just over half-an-hour with express trains running every 10 minutes. It has the potential to be transformative for the people of the north west.”