News in Brief

I've recently been a little negligent in following the news on this blog, so here's a few headlines and updates:

• The Pendolino test runs which were aborted at the end of March were retried later in the week and were apparently successful.  Pendolinos are scheduled to run between Liverpool and Euston via Manchester on both the bank holiday weekends in May.
• One autotransformer wire has been installed on the up side through Huyton, the down side is still missing.  Correction:  Actually both sides are now up, the down side on temporary pulleys.
• A number of 319 test runs have been performed on the Huyton-Wigan line.  I am not aware that ORR have formally signed off the route.  (But see below)
• "Treat as Live" notices have gone up for Ordsall Lane Jn to Victoria, dated Sunday 19 April.  I don't know if any finishing work is required but hopefully we will see MENTOR and then 319 tests before long. 

Finally, the rumour mill reports that on this coming Saturday (18 April) a 319 will do a Liverpool to Wigan and return passenger working and then move onto a Liverpool/Manchester Airport diagram.  Another 319 is also expected to be on Airport runs.  If this happens it will be the first electric passenger working on the Wigan line, and also the first Saturday runs, I think.

Update, Saturday:  The 319 to Wigan was replaced by a diesel, reportedly due to overhead line problems at Huyton.  An electric airport diagram is running, I'm told.