Test
run
++
The
bi-mode
replacement
for
Avanti
West
Coast’s
diesel
Voyager
fleet
has
made
its
first
test
run
between
Wolverhampton
and
Glasgow.
The
Class
805
is
a
new
variant
of
Hitachi’s
established
A-Train
series,
and
will
replace
the
Bombardier
Class
221s
on
routes
between
London,
Shrewsbury,
Crewe,
Chester
and
Holyhead.
The
805’s
trial
journey
covered
901km
from
Oxley
depot
in
Wolverhampton
to
Glasgow
Central
and
back.

Transport
appeal
++
A
coalition
of
15
charities,
business
and
transport
groups
has
written
to
Chancellor
Jeremy
Hunt,
urging
him
to
‘show
public
transport
some
love’
by
protecting
and
investing
in
trains
and
other
public
transport
in
the
forthcoming
Budget
on
15
March.
The
letter,
which
has
been
signed
by
Bus
Users
UK,
the
Campaign
for
Better
Transport,
the
Clean
Cities
Campaign,
Client
Earth,
rural
England
charity
CPRE,
Cycling
UK,
Greener
Vision,
Greenpeace
UK,
the
Institute
for
Public
Policy
Research,
the
Intergenerational
Foundation,
Living
Streets,
the
London
Chamber
of
Commerce
and
Industry,
Possible,
the
Transport
Action
Network
and
the
Urban
Transport
Group,
calls
on
the
Chancellor
to
protect
passengers
from
the
funding
squeeze
and
the
cost-of-living
crisis
that
they
fear
is
threatening
public
transport.

Preston
closed
++
Trains
will
not
be
calling
at
Preston
over
four
weekends
so
that
Network
Rail
can
upgrade
track
on
the
West
Coast
Main
Line.
NR
said
it
would
be
investing
£1.5
million
in
upgrading
track
foundations
and
six
sets
of
points
and
crossings.
The
closure
dates
are
18-19
and
25-26
February,
followed
by
4,5
and
12
March.
Passengers
using
the
West
Coast
Main
Line
elsewhere
on
these
dates
are
being
warned
that
fewer
trains
will
be
running,
journeys
will
take
longer
and
those
trains
which
do
run
are
expected
to
be
busy.
More
information
will
be
available
on
www.nationarail.co.uk.

Transpennine
progress
++
Morley
station
between
Leeds
and
Huddersfield
has
reopened
after
a
nine-day
possession,
while
engineers
laid
the
foundations
for
longer
platforms,
realigned
the
track
and
completed
work
on
drainage.
The
old
station
is
set
to
be
demolished
in
June
and
a
new
station
will
open
later
this
year.
The
project
is
part
of
the
Transpennine
Route
Upgrade.