Andy Burnham has called on the Government to show 'ambition' for the north by building the 'right' high-speed railway station in Manchester.
Speaking as the HS2 Bill enters Parliament, the mayor of Greater Manchester said the benefits would 'flow' for centuries - and 'define the north of England for two centuries'.
Phase 2b of the railway will cut travel times by around 55 minutes for journeys between London and Manchester, and up to 45 minutes for trips between Birmingham and Manchester, according to the Department for Transport.
Extending HS2 from Crewe to Manchester was included in the Government's £96 billion Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) in November, although the plans sparked outrage because the eastern leg between the East Midlands and Leeds was scrapped.
The plans also suggested a surface station in Manchester, rather a preferred underground station.
The Manchester Evening News reported last week how local leaders fear a concrete jungle of viaducts on stilts carrying trains would 'sever' east Manchester if the government's station plans for Manchester go-ahead.
HS2 would rise up from underground on a viaduct at least nine metres high for a mile-long stretch between Ardwick and the new station.
Mr Burnham said he wanted to 'make the case for the right solution for Greater Manchester'.
"We remain of the view that the solution on the table is the wrong solution, for the city and for the city region," he said.
"And it's actually wrong for north of England as a whole."
Mr Burnham said the current plans 'will take away a huge amount of development land, reduce the economic potential of city centre Manchester going forward'.
"Trains going from Liverpool to Leeds will have to go in and then reverse back out again, which doesn't feel like 21st century rail travel," he said.
"The station will reach a capacity from day one."
Mr Burnham also questioned why Greater Manchester was the only part of the country 'being asked to make a substantial financial contribution to the cost of HS2'.
"You have to invest in the potential for the north," he said.
"We want the Government to show the same ambition as us."
Mr Burnham said major mainline railway stations in London have benefited from 'massive investment over the last couple of decades' - and Manchester wanted one new station.
Speaking at Depot Mayfield, a former railway station overlooking Manchester Piccadilly and the Mancunian Way near to where the viaducts will run, the mayor went on: "This decision about what happens here - this is the heart of the north of England behind us here.
"The potential of it is massive.
"If we build it right, the benefits will flow for centuries even.
"What happens here is going to define the north of England for two centuries. Therefore we have got to get it right.
"If you are going to spend billions on it, get it right.
"An underground station would be an investment in building a bigger Northern economy and would pay for itself over time. It could also help deliver an entirely new line between Manchester and Leeds, which is what we were promised.
"And my message to the government today is show the same ambition for the north of England that we have for this place.
"If you're listening people down there, please show the same ambition for the north that we've got.
"If we work together, we can make it all that it can be."
Bev Craig, leader of Manchester city council, said they would be lobbying government throughout the process - and claimed the current plans 'hampers ambition for the entire north of England'.
She said 'modelling' the government has done on the plans hasn't been revealed.
"We think that we have got a really big opportunity to get this right, not just for when the station opens, but in the decades to come," she said.
"From the city's perspective , we think we make a very, very clear proposition to the government.
"What's coming forward in the high-speed two bill, we think, is an option where they look to deliver on the cheap, but they are aiming to level-up the north.
"To build something that from day one is full - there's no options for further trains, further connectivity - doesn't just hamper the ability for places like Manchester to grow - but hampers ambition for the entire north of England.
"As the bill progresses through its stages, we will be making that simple economic case.
"We will be asking government to come to the table to discuss it with us.
"And we will be working with colleagues and partners across not just the north of England, but across the country."
Coun Craig said the current plans viaduct plans would be 'inconceivable for most modern European cities'.
She said it wasn't a north, south divide issue - but a 'simple economic case for the future prosperity of this country'.
