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Passengers are reminded to plan their journeys as the next phase of the major work to upgrade the railway between Preston and Blackpool gets under way this weekend (21 January).

• Leeds station sales up 15% on last Christmas

• Network Rail reports 9.5% sales growth across its managed stations over the festive period

• 32% of total station users – almost 34 million people across Britain - visited a station retailer between 19 November and 24 December

Mardy Road Bridge in Cardiff will close to road traffic from 18 March 2017 until autumn 2018, as essential work to upgrade the railway continues in preparation for a new fleet of electric trains.

With days to go before major work starts to upgrade the railway between Preston and Bolton, passengers travelling between the two at weekends are being urged to check before they travel and plan their journeys.

Train passengers were today urged to plan their journeys and check before they travel ahead of essential railway improvements in London over four Sundays from the end of January.

• Edinburgh station sales up 41% on last Christmas
• Network Rail reports 9.5% sales growth across its managed stations over the festive period
• 32% of total station users – almost 34 million people across Britain - visited a station retailer between 19 November and 24 December

Network Rail has started the next stage of its project to electrify the line between Kettering and Corby as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan.

• Network Rail reports 9.5% sales growth across its managed stations over the festive period
• Edinburgh Waverley, Birmingham New Street and Leeds stations performed particularly well, with 10 stations recording double-digit sales growth
• 32% of total station users – almost 34 million people across Britain - visited a station retailer between 19 November and 24 December