Birkenhead Park railway station
Encyclopedia
Birkenhead Park railway station is situated in Birkenhead
, Wirral, England
. It lies on the Wirral Line
5 km (3½ miles) west of Liverpool Lime Street on the Merseyrail
network.
and the Mersey Railway
. It replaced the Wirral Railway's original terminus at Wallasey Bridge Road (close to the present-day Birkenhead North
station), becoming an interchange between their line to West Kirby
and the Mersey Railway's new line to central Liverpool
. On the same day, the Wirral Railway's new line to Wallasey Grove Road
opened, which was extended to New Brighton
later that year.
On 6 December 1922 an accident occurred at the station. The train heading to West Kirby
, which was late, was leaving the station and collided with a train from West Kirby. There was one fatality and twelve people were injured. This was the only fatal passenger accident to occur on the Wirral Railway
.
In 1938, the lines to West Kirby and New Brighton were electrified by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
, allowing through services to central Liverpool, so the need to change at Birkenhead Park was removed.
The station building is not the original. The first station was destroyed by a bomb during the Second World War.
The name of the station comes from nearby Birkenhead Park
, an early municipal park
which was the model for Central Park
, New York City
.
and the Mersey Railway Tunnel to Liverpool
. At other times, trains run every 30 minutes to New Brighton and West Kirby, and every 15 minutes to Liverpool.
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...
, Wirral, 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 lies on the 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...
5 km (3½ miles) west of Liverpool Lime Street on the 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...
network.
History
The station was opened on 2 January 1888, as a joint station between the Wirral RailwayWirral 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...
and 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...
. It replaced the Wirral Railway's original terminus at Wallasey Bridge Road (close to the present-day Birkenhead North
Birkenhead North railway station
Birkenhead North railway station is situated in Birkenhead, Wirral, England. The station is situated on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network, close to the junction of the New Brighton and West Kirby branches...
station), becoming an interchange between their line 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....
and the Mersey Railway's new line to central Liverpool
Liverpool
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...
. On the same day, the Wirral Railway's new line to Wallasey Grove Road
Wallasey Grove Road railway station
Wallasey Grove Road railway station is situated in Wallasey, Wirral, England. It is situated on the Wirral Line 10 km west of Liverpool Lime Street on the Merseyrail network.-History:...
opened, which was extended 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:...
later that year.
On 6 December 1922 an accident occurred at the station. The train heading 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...
, which was late, was leaving the station and collided with a train from West Kirby. There was one fatality and twelve people were injured. This was the only fatal passenger accident to occur on 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...
.
In 1938, the lines to West Kirby and New Brighton were electrified by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, 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...
, allowing through services to central Liverpool, so the need to change at Birkenhead Park was removed.
The station building is not the original. The first station was destroyed by a bomb during the Second World War.
The name of the station comes from nearby Birkenhead Park
Birkenhead Park
Birkenhead Park is a public park in the centre of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. It was designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847...
, an early municipal park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
which was the model for Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Services
Trains operate every 15 minutes (Monday to Saturday daytime) to New Brighton and West Kirby and every 5–10 minutes via Hamilton SquareHamilton Square railway station
Hamilton Square railway station is situated near Hamilton Square in Birkenhead, Wirral, England, on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
and the Mersey Railway Tunnel to Liverpool
Liverpool
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...
. At other times, trains run every 30 minutes to New Brighton and West Kirby, and every 15 minutes to Liverpool.
Facilities Nearby
A convenience store, post office, and several fast food restaurants are available outside the station. Bus services run along the road outside the station and along Park Road (100 m towards the park).External links
- Station information from Merseyrail