Seacombe railway station
Encyclopedia
Seacombe railway station was a railway station located in Wallasey
, Wirral
, England
.
It was the terminus of a small branch line that ran from Seacombe Junction to opposite the ferry terminal at Seacombe
, adjacent to the River Mersey
. It was opened on 1 June 1895 as part of the Wirral Railway
, with only one other station (Liscard and Poulton
) on the stretch of line. The station's single platform was largely of timber construction with a small wooden waiting shelter near the exit. An additional platform was on the site, but was never used as the adjacent line was for the turning round of steam locomotives. The station buildings were constructed of corrugated iron. This was intended as a temporary measure, pending the building of a more permanent station adjoining the ferry terminal.
On 1 July 1901 Seacombe became Seacombe & Egremont, then reverted to its original name on 5 January 1953. The station saw regular passenger trips to Birkenhead
, New Brighton
and Chester
with occasional specials to Wrexham
and West Kirby
. However, the line was more focused on goods rather than passengers, so when the majority of the Wirral Railway was electrified in 1938 the Seacombe branch was omitted. Passenger services ended on 4 January 1960, although goods services continued for three further years until the station closed completely on 16 June 1963.
The cutting in which the line was situated is now the approach road to the Kingsway (Wallasey) Tunnel
. Traces of the immediate approach to the station can be found at the rear of the supermarket
car park in Church Road in the form of bridge stonework and a small section of sandstone wall at the roundabout facing the Seacombe Ferry Terminal.
Wallasey
Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
, Wirral
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
It was the terminus of a small branch line that ran from Seacombe Junction to opposite the ferry terminal at Seacombe
Seacombe
Seacombe is a district of the town of Wallasey, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Administratively, Seacombe is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Before local government reorganisation in 1 April 1974, it was part of the County Borough of Wallasey, within the geographical county of...
, adjacent to the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
. It was opened on 1 June 1895 as part of the Wirral Railway
Wirral Railway
The Wirral Railway was incorporated in 1863 as the Hoylake Railway , with powers to build lines from Birkenhead to New Brighton, and to Parkgate on the western side of the Wirral Peninsula; the latter line was not built. Between 1872 and 1882 the HR was renamed twice, and extensions of the line...
, with only one other station (Liscard and Poulton
Liscard and Poulton railway station
Liscard and Poulton railway station was located in Wallasey, Wirral, England.The station was an intermediate station on the Seacombe branch of the Wirral Railway. It opened to passengers on 1 June 1895, hosting regular passenger services to Wrexham, Chester, West Kirby and New Brighton...
) on the stretch of line. The station's single platform was largely of timber construction with a small wooden waiting shelter near the exit. An additional platform was on the site, but was never used as the adjacent line was for the turning round of steam locomotives. The station buildings were constructed of corrugated iron. This was intended as a temporary measure, pending the building of a more permanent station adjoining the ferry terminal.
On 1 July 1901 Seacombe became Seacombe & Egremont, then reverted to its original name on 5 January 1953. The station saw regular passenger trips to Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, New Brighton
New Brighton, Merseyside
New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
and Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
with occasional specials to Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
and West Kirby
West Kirby
West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the suburbs of Grange and Newton to the east, and the village of Caldy to the...
. However, the line was more focused on goods rather than passengers, so when the majority of the Wirral Railway was electrified in 1938 the Seacombe branch was omitted. Passenger services ended on 4 January 1960, although goods services continued for three further years until the station closed completely on 16 June 1963.
The cutting in which the line was situated is now the approach road to the Kingsway (Wallasey) Tunnel
Kingsway Tunnel
The Kingsway Tunnel is a road tunnel under the River Mersey in Merseyside, northwest England, and runs between Liverpool and Wallasey. It is one and half miles long and is often called the Wallasey Tunnel to distinguish it from the older Queensway Tunnel which runs between Liverpool and...
. Traces of the immediate approach to the station can be found at the rear of the supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
car park in Church Road in the form of bridge stonework and a small section of sandstone wall at the roundabout facing the Seacombe Ferry Terminal.