Progress

Test Trains

A number of Pendolino test trains are scheduled to run on Tuesday night / Wednesday morning.  I believe these are to test the newly completed autotransformer feed system.

5T80 23:24 Edge Hill Depot to Manchester Piccadilly via Lime Street and Chat Moss
5T81 00:41 Manchester P to Manchester P via Chat Moss, Lime Street and Chat Moss
5T82 02:18 Manchester P to Wigan NW via Chat Moss, Lime Street and Golborne
5T83 03:51 Wigan NW to Wigan NW via Golborne, Lime Street and Golborne
5T84 05:19 Wigan NW to Edge Hill Depot via Golborne and Lime Street

I am told that the Wigan runs may be altered to operate via St Helens Central.

If successful, I think this could mark the final completion of Phase 2 at last.  Apart from the footbridge fiasco at Rainhill, which seems to have been forgotten.

Huyton Fourth Track

It may be nothing to do with the railway, but I noticed a gang of people in orange dress in the car park of Huyton Telephone Exchange this morning.  They had a theodolite positioned on the future location of the fourth track.  Could this indicate that work is to begin soon?

Completion of the fourth track will require a slice of land to be removed from the telephone exchange car park (But will just squeeze past the actual building, I think.) and also a longer slice off the side of Huyton bus station.  Permission for these works has been granted in a Transport and Works Act Order.

Once the land has been cleared it will "simply" be a matter of  stringing up some overhead, installing points at Roby Junction, re-modelling Huyton Junction, and altering the signalling.