Wirral Railway
Encyclopedia
The Wirral Railway was incorporated in 1863 as the Hoylake Railway (HR), 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 from Hoylake to West Kirby
and to Seacombe
in Wallasey were authorised. The line was incorporated as the Wirral Railway in 1882.
to West Kirby
, with branches to New Brighton
and Seacombe
. The Railway's services were mainly passenger, as they were suburban lines that also carried daytrippers to seaside resort
s. Birkenhead Park station had a cross-platform connection with the Mersey Railway
's electric trains under the River Mersey
. All the stations on the line were very close together, in order to serve the population of the north Wirral. The total length of line was thirteen and a half miles.
at the Railways Act 1921
Grouping.
In addition, the Great Central railway trains on the route from Wrexham to Bidston continued over the Wirral Railway route to Seacombe, as there were no effective terminal arrangements for their trains at Bidston, and also to provide a direct connection by ferryboat to Liverpool.
After being absorbed by the LMS in 1923 operations continued much as before for the next 15 years, although the steam locomotives were slowly changed over to LMS standard types. In addition, a once-daily through train was introduced from New Brighton to London Euston. This ran along the former Wirral Railway lines via Bidston and West Kirby, where the Hooton line station was used rather than the former Wirral station, and then via Hooton (reverse) and Chester, where it was attached to a through train via Crewe to London. Thet train left New Brighton after breakast and returned there in the evening. It was withdrawn in 1939 and never reinstated.
Steam locomotives continued operation to West Kirby until 1965, on a once-daily freight train which served the coal depots at Moreton, Hoylake and West Kirby, the Cadbury chocolate factory at Moreton, and the gas works at Hoylake.
, and now form part of Merseyrail
's Wirral Line
.
The branch to Seacombe (which was never electrified) then became used only by the LNER (ex-Great Central) trains from Wrexham, until these were changed over to diesel trains in 1960 when they were diverted to New Brighton, and the Seacombe branch was closed to passengers, and after the coal depot at Seacombe was closed in 1963 the branch was closed and the track lifted. Some years later its route was used for the approach road to the Kingsway Tunnel
, which opened in 1971.
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...
to 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 to Parkgate
Parkgate, Cheshire
Parkgate is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, in the part that lies in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in the North West of England...
on the western side of the Wirral Peninsula
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...
; the latter line was not built. Between 1872 and 1882 the HR was renamed twice, and extensions of the line from Hoylake to 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...
and to 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...
in Wallasey were authorised. The line was incorporated as the Wirral Railway in 1882.
Route
The lines ran from Birkenhead ParkBirkenhead Park railway station
Birkenhead Park railway station is situated in Birkenhead, Wirral, England. It lies on the Wirral Line 5 km west of Liverpool Lime Street on the Merseyrail network.- History :...
to West Kirby
West Kirby railway station
West Kirby railway station is situated in the town of West Kirby, Wirral, England. It is situated at the end of one of the branches of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.The beach can be reached easily from the station....
, with branches to New Brighton
New Brighton railway station
New Brighton railway station is situated in New Brighton, Wirral, England. It is situated at the end of the New Brighton branch of the Wirral Line 13 km west of Liverpool Lime Street on the Merseyrail network.-History:...
and 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...
. The Railway's services were mainly passenger, as they were suburban lines that also carried daytrippers to seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
s. Birkenhead Park station had a cross-platform connection with the Mersey Railway
Mersey Railway
The Mersey Railway connected Liverpool and Birkenhead, England, via the Mersey Railway Tunnel under the River Mersey. Opened in 1886, it was the second oldest urban underground railway network in the world. The railway contained the first tunnel built under the River Mersey. It was constructed by...
's electric trains under 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....
. All the stations on the line were very close together, in order to serve the population of the north Wirral. The total length of line was thirteen and a half miles.
Grouping
The Wirral Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish RailwayLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
at the Railways Act 1921
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
Grouping.
Operation
The normal pattern of trains in steam railway days was from West Kirby to Birkenhead Park or to Seacombe, from both of which direct connections, which the bulk of the passengers used, were available to Liverpool, by the Mersey Railway electric trains from Birkenhead Park, and by Wallasey Corportaion ferryboat from Seacombe. In addition trains from the New Brighton branch also ran to Birkenhead Park. The Wirral Railway locomotive depot and operating base was to the west of Birkenhead North station, on the site still used today for the Merseyrail electric service.In addition, the Great Central railway trains on the route from Wrexham to Bidston continued over the Wirral Railway route to Seacombe, as there were no effective terminal arrangements for their trains at Bidston, and also to provide a direct connection by ferryboat to Liverpool.
After being absorbed by the LMS in 1923 operations continued much as before for the next 15 years, although the steam locomotives were slowly changed over to LMS standard types. In addition, a once-daily through train was introduced from New Brighton to London Euston. This ran along the former Wirral Railway lines via Bidston and West Kirby, where the Hooton line station was used rather than the former Wirral station, and then via Hooton (reverse) and Chester, where it was attached to a through train via Crewe to London. Thet train left New Brighton after breakast and returned there in the evening. It was withdrawn in 1939 and never reinstated.
Steam locomotives continued operation to West Kirby until 1965, on a once-daily freight train which served the coal depots at Moreton, Hoylake and West Kirby, the Cadbury chocolate factory at Moreton, and the gas works at Hoylake.
Electrification
In 1938 parts of what had been the Wirral Railway were electrified, with electric trains running to both New Brighton and West Kirby. The trains operated through the Mersey Railway Tunnel to LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and now form part of Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
's Wirral Line
Wirral Line
The Wirral Line is one of the two commuter railway lines operated by Merseyrail that are centred around Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line...
.
The branch to Seacombe (which was never electrified) then became used only by the LNER (ex-Great Central) trains from Wrexham, until these were changed over to diesel trains in 1960 when they were diverted to New Brighton, and the Seacombe branch was closed to passengers, and after the coal depot at Seacombe was closed in 1963 the branch was closed and the track lifted. Some years later its route was used for the approach road to the Kingsway 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...
, which opened in 1971.
Archaeology
WIRRAL RAILWAY- Archaeology - 'The Railway that never was!'.
----
An iron track marker was unearthed in Aspendale Road, Tranmere, in the summer of 2006, by Mike Dennis the Site Manager, FAWLEY CONSTRUCTION, and his team. The embossed letters, N.W. & L. Ry. referred to the North Wales and Liverpool RailwayNorth Wales and Liverpool RailwayThe North Wales and Liverpool Railway , was the name given to the joint committee formed to construct a railway between Bidston, on the Wirral Railway and Hawarden on the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway's Chester & Connah's Quay Railway from Chester to its link with the Wrexham,...
. The letters column of the Birkenhead News at that time, revealed that a line was proposed from Birkenhead Central Station, via a tunnel, to the rears of Aspendale Road, Derby Road and Victoria Road. The line was to have continued to the other side of Borough Road, by the now demolished College, to Woodchurch Road, and on to the existing Wirral line at Woodchurch.
The lay-out of Aspendale Road and Maybank Road was such as to allow room for the railway line, and this was pointed out in a letter to the Birkenhead News, which also reported that a similar track marker to the one in Aspendale Road had been found around Holm Lane (Prenton - Oxton). Possibly, the engineers had been considering the constructing of another
tunnel, under Oxton hill, to Borough Road.
Ironically, the line is more needed today than at the time of its design, because of the expansion of the town and the building of the main hospital at Arrowe Park.
C.P. Milne. (2006)
Article Location - Birkenhead Central Library.