Wirral Railway

The Wirral Railway was a suburban railway in Birkenhead, England. It was incorporated in 1863 as the Hoylake Railway, becoming the Wirral Railway in 1882. It ran from a terminus at Birkenhead Park to West Kirby, New Brighton and Seacombe. In the 1923 grouping it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. It electrified its routes in 1938, allowing services to be run through the Mersey Railway tunnel to Liverpool. The Railway was nationalised, along with most other British rail services, in 1948. The railway is still in use today as part of the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail commuter rail network.

Origins

The Hoylake Railway was incorporated in 1863 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 Railway was renamed twice, and extensions of the line from Hoylake to West Kirby and to Seacombe in Wallasey were authorised. The line became the Wirral Railway in 1882. The lines ran from Birkenhead Park 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 resorts. Birkenhead Park station had a cross-platform connection with the Mersey Railway's 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.