60-637: Birkenhead North railway station serves the town of Birkenhead , in Merseyside , 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. Birkenhead North TMD , situated just to the west of the station, is the main traction maintenance depot for the Merseyrail fleet. The station was built by
120-549: A Royal Research Ship . Birkenhead's first market was established in 1835 in a purpose-built building in Hamilton Street near its junction with Market Street. This building also contained the town hall, commissioners' offices and a lock-up. It is often said that the first market was opened on the site of the later town hall in Hamilton Square. This is untrue. In fact, part of the eastern side of Hamilton Square
180-548: A 20 year development plan known as the 'Birkenhead 2040 Framework'. The plan aims to regenerate parts of Birkenhead, with the creation of a new park ( Dock Branch Park ), new housing and an improved greener environment. Birkenhead lies within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral , with Wirral Council providing most local government functions. Wirral forms part of the Liverpool City Region , which
240-586: A consequence of the Industrial Revolution . Birkenhead Park and Hamilton Square were laid out as well as the first street tramway in Britain. The Mersey Railway connected Birkenhead and Liverpool with the world's first tunnel beneath a tidal estuary; the shipbuilding firm Cammell Laird and a seaport were established. In the second half of the 20th century, the town suffered a significant period of decline, with containerisation causing
300-598: A freight only service to Dublin commenced. The Mersey Ferry at Woodside operates a passenger service to Liverpool and chartered cruising. During winter months, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company operates a service from Birkenhead to Douglas using MS Ben-my-Chree . Due to weather conditions, this service temporarily replaces the route that normally operates from the Liverpool landing stage using fast craft. British Rail Class 507 The British Rail Class 507
360-506: A further depot adjacent to Birkenhead Park station. The remains of the Birkenhead Dock Branch are still extant in a cutting through the centre of the town, which was used primarily for freight services. Much of the peripheral railway infrastructure, around the docks, has been removed since the 1980s. Birkenhead had the first street tramway in Britain. Opened on 29 August 1860, the first line ran from Woodside (adjoining
420-604: A heritage tramway between Woodside and Wirral Transport Museum ; Birkenhead Corporation Tramways car No.20 is preserved on this line. As part of the Wirral Waters development, a street car service has been proposed, to be called Wirral Street Car . Junctions 1 and 3 of the M53 motorway facilitate access to the national motorway network. The A41 trunk road connects Woodside with Marble Arch in London. Two road tunnels,
480-535: A market and regulating the police force. The Mersey Railway tunnel opened in 1886, providing direct railway access to Liverpool. The Grange Road West drill hall was completed in 1900. In September 1932 thousands of unemployed people protested in a series of demonstrations organised by the local branch of the National Unemployed Workers Movement . After three days of rioting, police were brought in from elsewhere to help quell
540-459: A new EMU, but this was postponed following a refurbishment. In May 2012, Merseytravel announced that it had formally begun a project for replacement. The fleet received a refresh package including external re-livery, internal enhancements and engineering work. In January 2016, Merseytravel announced the short list of companies bidding to build new trains which will replace the Class 507 and 508 on
600-604: A reduction in port activity. The Wirral Waters development is planned to regenerate much of the dockland. The name Birkenhead probably means "headland overgrown with birch", from the Old English bircen meaning birch tree, of which many once grew on the headland which jutted into the river at Woodside . The name is not derived from the Birket , a stream which enters the Mersey between Birkenhead and Seacombe. The Birket
660-507: A reduction in the number. Sets are made up of two driving motor cars ('A' DMSO with the compressor; 'B' BDMSO with the battery) and a trailer. Originally, each three-car set seated 234 passengers, this figure being reduced to 222 following interior modifications during the 1990s. After the introduction of high back seats during refurbishment in 2004/2005 this was reduced to 192 with space for cyclists and disabled people improved. The Class 507 (and 508) replaced LMS -designed Class 502 EMUs on
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#1732801552649720-732: A replacement was sought. Owing to the success of the Class 313 fleet on suburban services from King's Cross , four sets were temporarily transferred to Merseyside and based at Hall Road TMD . Sets 313013/063 were used for clearance trials on the Southport , Ormskirk and Kirkby - Garston lines. The results showed that a similar type of stock would be suitable for the Merseyrail Northern Line . Initially, 47 sets were ordered (507001–507047) but cost issues forced this number to be reduced to 38 units, then 30 by early 1978 when
780-731: A representation of Dover in the 1920s. Other notable landmarks include Bidston Windmill on a ridge behind the town, Flaybrick Watertower and Birkenhead Priory & St. Mary's Tower . Horse-drawn buses began operating in Birkenhead in 1848, to be replaced with motor vehicles after the First World War . Present-day services are run by operators including Arriva and Stagecoach , which are coordinated by Merseytravel . National Express provides long-distance coach services to other UK cities, with direct routes including London, Glasgow, Bangor and Newcastle . The bus station
840-410: Is a payphone available. The station provides a Park and Ride service. There are 630 car parking spaces which are free to use for travellers, with lighting columns and CCTV to meet Merseytravel's Travelsafe requirements. There is secure cycle storage for 12 cycles. In 2016 charging posts were added to the car park for the recharging of electric vehicles. As of 4 June 2014, there is step-free access to
900-458: Is a later name which was introduced by Ordnance Survey . The earliest records state that the Mersey ferry began operating from Birkenhead in 1150, when Benedictine monks under the leadership of Hamon de Mascy built a priory there. The priory was visited in 1275 and 1277 by Edward I . In a royal charter of 13 April 1330, Edward III granted the priory further rights. Distanced from
960-588: Is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral , Merseyside , England; It was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula , along the west bank of the River Mersey , opposite Liverpool . At the 2011 census, it had a population of 88,818. Birkenhead Priory and the Mersey Ferry were established in the 12th century. In the 19th century, Birkenhead expanded greatly as
1020-690: Is a type of electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train built by British Rail Engineering Limited at Holgate Road carriage works in two batches from 1978 to 1980. They are a variant of British Rail 's standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs derived from PEP stock, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles over five classes ( 313 , 314 , 315 , 507 and 508 ). They have worked on the Merseyrail network from new until their retirement in November 2024. Between 2002 and 2005, all units were refurbished by Alstom 's Eastleigh Works . The remaining class 507 units are all now at least 44 years old, and, following
1080-607: Is acknowledged to be the first publicly funded park in Britain . The park was the forerunner of the Parks Movement and its influence was far reaching both in Britain and abroad – most notably on Frederick Law Olmsted 's design for Central Park in New York City . Designed by Joseph Paxton (later Sir Joseph Paxton) in 1843 and officially opened in 1847, with great festivity. The park's Grand Entrance , modelled on
1140-546: Is at one end of the Borderlands Line , it serves the rural centre of Wirral, near Shotton it leaves England for Wales, serving Wrexham General and terminating at Wrexham Central ,. Railways reached Birkenhead in 1840, when the Chester and Birkenhead Railway began services. Birkenhead Grange Lane station opened at the same time, becoming the town's first terminus. Birkenhead Dock station opened in 1866, as
1200-497: Is led by a directly elected Metro Mayor . Birkenhead was historically a chapelry in the ancient parish of Bidston , which formed part of the Wirral Hundred of Cheshire . As the town began to develop rapidly in the early nineteenth century, there was a need for more urban forms of local government. In 1833 a body of improvement commissioners was set up covering the chapelry of Birkenhead. The commissioners' district
1260-726: Is part of the Labour Party . The Birkenhead Urban Area , as defined by the Office for National Statistics , includes Birkenhead, Wallasey , Bebington, Ellesmere Port (which is outside the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral) and the contiguous built-up areas which link those towns. In the 2011 Census , the area so defined had a total population of 325,264, making it the 19th largest conurbation in England and Wales. Shipbuilding and ship repair has featured prominently in
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#17328015526491320-489: The Industrial Revolution in Liverpool by the physical barrier of the River Mersey, Birkenhead retained its agricultural status until the advent of steam ferry services. In 1817 a steam ferry service started from Liverpool to Tranmere and in 1822 the paddle steamer, Royal Mail , began operation between Liverpool and Woodside. Shipbuilding started in 1829. An ironworks was established by William Laird in 1824, and he
1380-620: The Mersey Railway Tunnel . Services used the new LMS trains and the former Mersey Railway electric units . The Mersey Railway electric units operated through the station until 1957. From 4 January 1971 until 2 October 1978, the diesel service on the Bidston to Wrexham line , which had previously operated from New Brighton, was diverted to Birkenhead North. These trains terminated on the centre platform (2) which had previously been used for Liverpool-bound services, and when one of
1440-667: The Northern Line and Class 503 EMUs on the Wirral Line . From new, all Class 507 units have worked the Merseyrail network. Sets have been used interchangeably between the Northern Line and the Wirral Line since 1997. Since 2023 the class has slowly been withdrawn from service, being replaced by the Class 777 . Merseyrail expected that the Class 507 and 508 units would be withdrawn around 2014 and replaced by
1500-582: The Queensway Tunnel . The station also has frequent services to as far away as Chester . The major underground station in Birkenhead is Birkenhead Hamilton Square , the nearest station to the ferry terminal. Hamilton Square station is linked to the Liverpool Loop of the Wirral Line , which includes Liverpool James Street , Moorfields , Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central stations; all of these are underground. Other stations in
1560-875: The Queensway road tunnel from Birkenhead and the Kingsway road tunnel from Wallasey, run underneath the River Mersey and connect the town to Liverpool. Birkenhead's dock system is part of the Port of Liverpool , operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company under the ownership of The Peel Group . The Twelve Quays ferry terminal allows a direct freight and passenger vehicle service to Dublin and Belfast . Daily Belfast services are run by Stena Line , using their RoPax ferries MS Stena Edda and MS Stena Embla from 2020 to 2021, which replaced MS Stena Lagan and MS Stena Mersey . In 2024,
1620-504: The Rock Ferry area from Bebington . When elected county councils were established in 1889, Birkenhead was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it was made a county borough , making it independent from the new Cheshire County Council , whilst still being deemed part of Cheshire for ceremonial purposes. The council built itself Birkenhead Town Hall on Hamilton Square to serve as its headquarters;
1680-466: The Wirral Railway , replacing their earlier terminus at Wallasey Bridge Road (a short distance away), which had opened in 1866. The station was originally known as Birkenhead Docks and opened on 2 January 1888 as a through station with Birkenhead Park station becoming the new terminus. The station had three through platforms prior to 1898, which it still retains to the present day. However,
1740-535: The 2+3 seating was replaced with 2+2 seats. Unit 507033 was the last Merseyside set to be refurbished, entering service having been named Cllr George Howard in August 2005. The first of two Class 507 farewell tours took place on 15 September 2024. The second farewell tour took place on 3 November 2024. Class 507 units are formed of three cars, and numbered 507001 to 507033. Original plans were drawn up for 47; later 38 Class 507 units to be built, but costs enforced
1800-573: The Class 502 was, in turn, withdrawn. By mid-1980, Northern Line services were entirely in the hands of the Class 507 and all of the sets were in service by October 1980. A host of new liveries appeared following sectorisation of British Rail . Following privatisation , the Class 507 units were used interchangeably between both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line , working a further four routes regularly. The remaining 32 units were refurbished by Alstom Eastleigh during 2002–2005. They received new interiors, CCTV, light clusters dot matrix displays and
1860-460: The Merseyrail network. In December 2016, Merseytravel announced that Stadler had won the £460 million contract and that the new Class 777 trains would be delivered from summer 2019 with all the old trains replaced by 2021. The first unit entered service late in January 2023. In March 2024, the Class 507 Preservation Society reached an agreement to preserve 507001 after the chairman of
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1920-582: The Temple of Illysus in Athens, and its 'Roman Boathouse' are notable features. There are sandstone lodges at the three entrances, each with a different style of architecture, Gothic , Norman and Italianate . There are also two lakes and an ornate 'Swiss Bridge'. William Laird , a Scot, and his son John , were influential in the design of the town. Parts were laid out in a grid-iron pattern like Edinburgh New Town with similar architecture. The chief architect
1980-577: The building was opened in 1887. The borough was enlarged in 1928 to absorb Landican , Prenton and Thingwall , and again in 1933 to take in Bidston, Noctorum , Upton and Woodchurch . The borough of Birkenhead was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , with the area becoming part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and being transferred to the metropolitan county of Merseyside . In 1986 Merseyside County Council
2040-466: The completion of a large shopping development within Birkenhead town centre, known as the Pyramids. Conway Park station was opened in 1998 as part of a development that saw Wirral Metropolitan College open a new campus nearby. The Wirral Waters development was announced in 2006, with work starting in 2011 and expecting to last for around 30 years. Wirral Council announced in 2020 the formulation of
2100-407: The diesel trains was present (which in that timetable was much of the time), Liverpool-bound electric services used the outer north side of the island platform (1) instead. The diesel service was cut back to Bidston on 2 October, 1978. Regular use of the outer platform (1) at Birkenhead North thereafter ceased. Birkenhead North No. 1 was a 40-lever signal box which was situated at the western end of
2160-526: The eastern terminus of the Hoylake Railway . With the opening of the Woodside and Birkenhead Dock Street Tramway in 1873, this station probably became the world's first tram to train interchange . In 1886, Birkenhead and Liverpool were linked by an underground railway system, which today is part of the Merseyrail network. From 1878 until its closure in 1967, Birkenhead Woodside station
2220-431: The first sets were under construction. Ultimately, 33 units were built between September 1978 and October 1979. The first set was delivered to Birkenhead North depot during September 1978, with the first test run taking place on 9 October 1978. On 25 October 1978, a Royal Special involving units 507001 and 507002 conveyed The Queen and several other VIPs on a special service between Moorfields and Kirkby . Following
2280-420: The journey, she declared the new-look Merseyrail network officially open. The first passenger working occurred on 1 November 1978, with unit 507001 working the 07:39 Southport - Liverpool Central with a commemorative headboard . It worked between Liverpool and Southport for the remainder of the day, while unit 507002 operated between Liverpool and Ormskirk. Further Class 507 units steadily entered service and
2340-554: The local economy since the 19th century. Cammell Laird entered receivership in 2001. The shipyard was sold and became 'Northwestern Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders' (NS&S), which grew into a successful business specialising in ship repair and conversion, including maintenance contracts for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary . In September 2007 NS&S acquired the rights to use the Cammell Laird name. The company
2400-562: The outer face of the north side island platform sees little use apart from trains to and from Birkenhead North depot at the start and end of service. The Wirral Railway subsequently became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway , which renamed the station Birkenhead North in 1926. The line through Birkenhead North was electrified, using a 650 V DC third rail system, and brought into passenger service on 14 March 1938, allowing through services from New Brighton to Liverpool Central via
2460-505: The platforms for passengers with wheelchairs or prams . Trains operate every 15 minutes (Monday to Saturday daytime) to New Brighton and West Kirby and every 5–10 minutes via Birkenhead Hamilton Square to Liverpool. At other times, trains run every 30 minutes to New Brighton and West Kirby, and every 15 minutes to Liverpool. These services are all provided by Merseyrail's fleet of Class 507 and Class 777 EMUs . Birkenhead Birkenhead ( / ˌ b ɜːr k ən ˈ h ɛ d / )
Birkenhead North railway station - Misplaced Pages Continue
2520-651: The principal shopping area of Grange Road. Following two fires at the expanded Birkenhead Market in 1969 and 1974, it was moved to new premises adjoining the Grange Shopping Precinct development in 1977. Commercial expansion continued in the early 1990s when the Pyramids Shopping Centre was opened. The previous market site has been redeveloped with the construction of two office buildings, primarily to house Land Registry and Department for Work and Pensions offices. In February 2010,
2580-523: The rioters. In addition to the ferries and the railway, the Queensway road tunnel opened in 1934 and gave rapid access to Liverpool. This opened up the Wirral Peninsula for development, and prompted further growth of Birkenhead as an industrial centre. Bolstered by migration from rural Cheshire, southern Ireland and Wales, the town's population had grown from 110 in 1801 to 110,912 one hundred years later and stood at 142,501 by 1951. 1989 saw
2640-589: The society bought the unit for £1 from Angel Trains . A crowdfunding campaign to raise £10,000 to move the train by road to the Nant Mawr visitor centre at the Tanat Valley Light Railway was set up by the society in May 2024. A DMSO coach from 507028 has been placed in the new Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Training School at Aintree Fire Station. Individual vehicles are numbered in
2700-422: The southern platform and opened in 1888. This signal box closed on 9 September 1994 and was demolished over the following two days. Birkenhead North No. 2 was a 25-lever signal box which was situated to the west of the station, approximately a third of the distance towards Bidston. The box was located on the northern side of the Wirral Line at the junction with the Birkenhead Dock Branch goods line. The signal box
2760-559: The terminal of the Mersey Ferry) to Birkenhead Park . This early system was horse-drawn and was the brainchild of flamboyant American, George Francis Train . A preserved tram was on display in the Woodside ferry terminal booking hall. The system was later electrified and operated from 1901 as Birkenhead Corporation Tramways ; it closed in 1937. Two replica trams, imported from Hong Kong, have been brought into service as part of
2820-410: The town had an overall unemployment rate of 8.2% (males 12.4%, female 4.1%) as against a national average of 4.4%. In 2011, Birkenhead had a population of 88,818. The wider Urban Subdivision had a population of over 142,000. However, this latter figure includes areas such as Greasby and Frankby , which are separate from Birkenhead. These are the 2011 ethnic groups for the town: Birkenhead Park
2880-418: The town include Birkenhead Central , which is open but below ground level; Green Lane , below ground level; Rock Ferry ; Conway Park , below ground level; Birkenhead Park ; Birkenhead North ; and Bidston . The Wirral Line from Birkenhead travels south to Chester and Ellesmere Port , north to New Brighton and westwards, across the Wirral Peninsula, to West Kirby . Bidston (in the north of Birkenhead)
2940-522: The withdrawal of the Class 313 fleet in 2023, were the oldest units operating on the mainline rail network in Great Britain. However, the even older 1972 Stock and 1973 Stock are still in service on London Underground 's Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines. A final farewell tour took place on 3 November 2024. With the Class 502 units life-expired, unable to cope with the demands of the new Link tunnel and approaching 40 years old, by 1977
3000-659: Was James Gillespie Graham from Edinburgh. This grid pattern was centred around Hamilton Square which was started in 1826 and, apart from Trafalgar Square in London, contains the most Grade I listed buildings in one place in England. including Birkenhead Town Hall . A short distance from Hamilton Square are two other notable landmarks: the Queensway Tunnel Main Entrance and the Woodside Ferry Terminal . The film Chariots of Fire had scenes shot at Woodside. These scenes were as
3060-516: Was abolished, with Wirral Council then taking on the county council's former functions in the area. Since 2014 Wirral and the other Merseyside boroughs and neighbouring Halton have been covered by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority , which has been led by a directly elected mayor since 2017. As of 2024 the current Member of Parliament for the constituency of Birkenhead is Alison McGovern who
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#17328015526493120-461: Was built by Fox, Henderson & Co , who later built The Crystal Palace . Michael Marks , of Marks & Spencer , opened one of his first seven 'Penny Bazaar' stalls here during the 1880s. On 31 January 2018, Marks & Spencer announced the closure of their store, in the town centre of Birkenhead, happening in April. During the 1970s, the commercial centre of the town was redeveloped around
3180-430: Was closed on 15 September 1994 and was subject to arson in November 1994. The station has a booking office , and on-street parking, which has been upgraded and replaced with a Park and Ride facility, linked directly to the platform. The station is staffed, at all times during opening hours, and has platform CCTV . Each platform has open-air seating and live departure and arrival screens, for passenger information. There
3240-478: Was deliberately left empty until 1887, when the main town hall was built on that designated site. The Hamilton Square town hall site was never used as a market, despite that myth being propagated in many accounts of Birkenhead's history, including official sources. The large market hall which was a famous feature of Birkenhead was built behind the original market, along Albion Street, opening in July 1845. This market hall
3300-453: Was enlarged in 1843 to take in the township of Claughton with Grange and part of Oxton . Local government districts were subsequently established for Tranmere in 1860 and Oxton in 1863. In 1877 Birkenhead was incorporated as a municipal borough , with its territory covering the combined area of the old commissioners' district and the two local government districts of Oxton and Tranmere, which were abolished. The new borough also took in
3360-470: Was joined by his son John in 1828. The business eventually became the shipbuilder Cammell Laird . Notable naval vessels built at Birkenhead include HMS Achilles , HMS Affray , CSS Alabama , HMS Ark Royal , HMS Birkenhead , HMS Caroline , Huáscar , the pioneer submarine Resurgam , HMS Thetis (which sank in Liverpool Bay during sea trials , and
3420-462: Was opened in 1996. It is adjacent to The Grange shopping centre and Birkenhead Market. It has a total of eleven stands and incorporates a travel centre. The main bus operators at the station include Arriva North West and Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire . Services using the bus station operate around the town of Birkenhead, throughout the Wirral and to the nearby city of Liverpool via
3480-405: Was refloated and commissioned as HMS Thunderbolt , only to be lost to enemy action with the loss of the entire crew), HMS Conqueror and HMS Prince of Wales . Merchant vessels were also built such as RMS Mauretania and RMS Windsor Castle . In 1833 an act was passed to introduce street paving, lighting and other improvements in the town. These included establishing
3540-452: Was renamed 'Cammell Laird Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders' on 17 November 2008, seeing the famous name return to Birkenhead after a seven-year hiatus. In 2010, Cammell Laird secured a £50 million contract to construct the flight deck for HMS Queen Elizabeth , the first of two Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers . In 2015, Cammell Laird was selected as the preferred bidder to construct RRS Sir David Attenborough ,
3600-586: Was the town's mainline railway terminus. Originally sited close to Woodside Ferry Terminal, the site had been redeveloped as part of Cammell Laird ship builders. Latterly, the adjacent dry dock at Cammell Laird was filled in and the area redeveloped to provide flats, a bus depot and offices for HM Land Registry and the Child Support Agency . The town has one operational railway depot, Birkenhead North TMD ; one disused, Birkenhead Central TMD ; and two demolished, Birkenhead Mollington Street TMD and
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