Wirral Tramway was a heritage tramway opened in 1995 by the Wirral Borough Council and Hamilton Quarter partnership and was operated by Blackpool Transport Services until 2005 when the council took over the licence to run the tramway.
60-533: 53°23′42″N 3°00′36″W / 53.395109°N 3.01°W / 53.395109; -3.01 The Wirral Transport Museum and tramway were set up with the assistance of The Hamilton Quarter and various volunteer groups including Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society, 201 Bus Group and the Merseyside Bus Club. In 2023, the Museum was transferred to Big Heritage CIC and has remained closed since, along with
120-574: A 750 V DC third rail system, with the exception of the Headbolt Lane line past Fazakerley . The City Line , marked red on the map, is operated primarily by Northern with funding from Merseytravel . The City Line is mainly electrified with one branch, the Liverpool to Manchester line via Warrington, operated by diesel trains. Trains on the Northern Line and Wirral Line cover
180-746: A Yamaha QT50 and a 1967 Honda P50 . Merseyrail Merseyrail is a commuter rail network which serves Merseyside and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire in the Northwest of England . Merseyrail serves 69 stations , 67 of which it manages, across two lines – the Northern Line and the Wirral Line . The network uses 750 V DC third rail electrified lines having 75.0 miles (120.7 km) of routes, of which 6.5 miles (10.5 km) are underground. Since January 2023, Merseyrail commenced replacing its train fleet, withdrawing
240-517: A Wirral Street Car Project, to provide a tramway service to the Wirral Waters development. The council therefore decided to pursue the transfer of management to MTPS. While this had been going on, the tramway had been forced to close in October 2011, after the council's electrical engineer retired, and although MTPS were initially told that they would not be able to resume operation in 2012, this decision
300-459: A cost of £32 million, involving trainsets being transported to and from Eastleigh works . Improvements to the trains included new high-backed seating, interior panel replacement, new lighting, the installation of a Passenger Information System and a new external livery. A farewell tour for the Class 508 operated using units 508139 and 508141 took place on 29 October 2023. A farewell tour for
360-449: A crash at Kirkby in March 2021, written off following accidents. In 2022, further withdrawals of the trains began, having been replaced by Class 777s. The following table shows trains withdrawn since 2022. The electric fleet is maintained and stabled at Stadler's maintenance depot and United Kingdom headquarters at Kirkdale and Birkenhead North TMD . Minor repair work and train cleaning
420-465: A five-tonne battery, provided they have the correct equipment installed, giving operation beyond the current network. As of April 2021 , all trains are only equipped for 750 V DC third rail operation, along with a smaller battery for depot shunting. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers opposed driver-only operation on the new fleet, which they said would put passenger safety and security at risk. Following
480-458: A large model railway, as well as various other static displays and information about old vehicles. The museum is run entirely by voluntary staff, who can provide much information about the exhibits. The museum is one of the most comprehensive transport museums in the country and connects directly to Woodside with the Wirral Tramway. Wirral Transport Museum Wirral Transport Museum
540-401: A new 'Prenton style' livery in 2005. Hong Kong tramcar 70, named Thomas Brassey after the well known 19th century railroad builder, has been painted in a fictional 'Birkenhead Blue' livery (which was only ever carried by the town's bus fleet after 1934). Liverpool 245, a Baby Grand owned by National Museums Liverpool but kept at Birkenhead since 2006, was restored to operational use by
600-403: A period of strike action, an agreement was reached to guarantee a guard on every train. Merseytravel has an option for a further 60 Class 777 units as part of the contract, which if exercised would see a total of 113 trains built if services are extended to new destinations such as Helsby, Skelmersdale or Wrexham. The deal also involves the transfer of 155 of Merseyrail's maintenance workers and
660-509: A regeneration of the docks to the north of the tramway. Discussions took place with Peel Holdings, who were managing the dock redevelopment, and were prepared to donate land for the tramway. They also suggested an extension to the International Trade Centre site, following the alignment of the former dock railway. The extension would be about 1,900 yards (1,700 m) long, and Merseytravel proposed to use three refurbished trams from
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#1732855502524720-670: A result of the privatisation of British Rail , the Northern Line and Wirral Line were brought together as the Mersey Rail Electrics passenger franchise , being sold on 19 January 1997. Although franchises are awarded and administered on a national level (initially through various independent bodies, and later the Department of Transport directly), under the original privatisation legislation of 1993 , passenger transport executives (PTEs) were co-signatories of franchise agreements covering their areas – this role being later modified by
780-421: A service at least every five minutes from Birkenhead Hamilton Square and around the loop under Liverpool's city centre. Connections to non-Merseyrail services are available at: [REDACTED] The City Line is the brand name used by Merseytravel on services out of the mainline platforms of Liverpool Lime Street railway station to 26 stations on its sponsored network, and cross-boundary destinations outside of
840-428: A shop scene are also present. Several vintage cars, including an Austin 1800 dating to 1970, an Austin 7 , a Morris Minor Traveller , a Triumph Dolomite 1300 and a 1946 Wolseley 14-series police car are on display. Also on display are various vintage motorcycles, including a BSA Bantam , a Douglas , a 1956 BSA C10L, a 1938 Norton 16H and a 1964 Honda CB92 . Meanwhile, mopeds on display include
900-495: A single network in 1977, with a major project being the Loop and Link line, creating a continuous underground route through Liverpool city centre. Over the years, several new stations such as Conway Park in 1998 and Maghull North in 2017 have been added to the network. Most recently in 2023, Headbolt Lane has opened and is served on the network by battery-electric trains. Various proposals have been suggested on how to further expand
960-621: A train every 15 minutes from Monday to Saturday, giving a frequent interval between trains on the central section. Some additional trains run at peak hours on the Southport line. On matchdays at Everton F.C. 's Goodison Park and Liverpool F.C. 's Anfield , Northern Line services connect with the SoccerBus service at Sandhills station to transport fans to the stadia. Bus departures are at frequent intervals from Sandhills station with ticketing to combine both modes of travel. Kirkdale station
1020-472: Is a museum situated approximately 0.5 miles (800 m) from the Mersey Ferry service at Woodside , Birkenhead , England . A vintage tram service links the museum and the ferry at certain times. Admission into the museum is free with a broad selection of vintage and classic vehicles, including trams, buses, cars, motorcycles, mopeds, bikes, and a fire engine. It also includes views of ongoing projects in
1080-885: Is depicted on signage and maps using the colour red and the above word mark. Unlike the Northern and Wirral lines, the City Line is not operated by the Serco-Transport UK Group joint venture. The City Line covers the Liverpool City Region sections of the Crewe–Liverpool line , the two Liverpool–Manchester lines , and the Liverpool–Wigan line . Two services are not electrified, the Manchester via Warrington Central and Chester via Runcorn. Northern mainly operate
1140-613: Is not part of this exemption. The three lines interchange as follows: [REDACTED] The Northern Line is shown in blue on the Merseyrail and Merseytravel maps and denoted by the above wordmark on underground stations. Services operate on three main routes: from Hunts Cross in the south of Liverpool to Southport via the Link tunnel from Brunswick station through central Liverpool, from Liverpool Central to Ormskirk , and from Liverpool Central to Headbolt lane via Kirkby. Each route operates
1200-699: Is overseen by Merseytravel , the passenger transport executive which co-ordinates public transport across the Liverpool City Region . Merseyrail branding and ticketing is also applied to stations on the City Line , which are within the Liverpool City Region but do not form part of the Merseyrail concession. Merseyrail was established in 1977, when existing railway lines were connected by constructing new tunnels under Liverpool city centre and Birkenhead . The network has since been extended at its peripheries, primarily by electrifying existing lines and transferring
1260-437: Is owned and maintained at a national level by Network Rail . As a self-contained system serving a single City Region, the Northern and Wirral Lines are exempt from the national rail franchising structure, which is instead the responsibility of local government. The City Line, which shares infrastructure with regional and high-speed services and trains with neighbouring mainline commuter services (particularly that of Manchester ),
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#17328555025241320-508: Is undertaken at Kirkdale, while overhauls are completed at Birkenhead. The roles will be reversed once the Class 777 trains fully replace the existing fleet. Other depots at Hall Road and Birkenhead Central were closed in 1997, and the former was demolished in April 2009. The Birkenhead Central depot is proposed for reopening. There are also two depots near Southport station: Southport Wall Sidings and Southport Carriage Holding Sidings . As
1380-405: Is within walking distance of Goodison Park. Connections to non-Merseyrail services are available at: [REDACTED] The Wirral Line is shown in green on the Merseyrail and Merseytravel maps and denoted by the above wordmark on underground stations. Services operate from the four terminus stations of: Chester , Ellesmere Port , New Brighton and West Kirby . Each service from one of these
1440-529: The Class 507 and 508 trains and introducing 53 new Class 777 trains. The network carried 28.3 million passengers in the 2023/2024 statistical period. The concession to operate Merseyrail is held by Merseyrail Electrics 2002, a joint venture between Serco and Transport UK Group (formerly Abellio UK ). The concession is awarded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and
1500-466: The Railways Act 2005 . The first train operating company awarded the Mersey Rail Electrics franchise contract was MTL . MTL was originally the operating arm of Merseytravel but had been privatised in 1985. The brand name Merseyrail Electrics was adopted by MTL. The Merseyrail name became the official brand for the network in the days of British Rail , surviving several franchise holders, although
1560-520: The Western Approaches Museum and two visitor attractions in Chester. The council revealed that it cost £85,000 a year to run the museum, which attracts around 6,000 visitors per year. Big Heritage were granted a 25-year lease and hope to increase visitor numbers to 40,000 a year. The museum was closed in April 2023. It is hoped that it will reopen in the summer of 2026. The tramway collection
1620-529: The 1863 Metropolitan Railway , now a part of London Underground . The network has a number world firsts. The self-contained network is operated by Merseyrail Electrics 2002, a 50:50 joint venture between Serco and Transport UK Group . Two lines known as the Northern Line and the Wirral Line compose the electric third-rail part of the network, which has service frequencies of 15 minutes in outlying areas converging to rapid transit frequencies in central sections. The lines are electrified throughout using
1680-414: The 1970s from lines that were previously owned by several different railway companies. The Beeching axe during the early 1960s closed key routes in and around Liverpool, with the council proposing an alternate strategy and advocating the preservation of suburban services integrated into a new regional electrified rapid-transit network. The network underwent a period of electrification and expansion, becoming
1740-509: The Blackpool system, which they already owned, to provide the main service. At a meeting of Wirral Council in February 2014, it was noted that Merseytravel was no longer interested in buying the assets. Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society (MTPS) had by then produced a credible plan for taking over responsibility for the management of the museum and tramway, and Peel Holdings were still looking at
1800-532: The City Line with additional services operated by TransPennine Express , Avanti West Coast , East Midlands Railway , Transport for Wales , and West Midlands Trains . The History of Merseyrail dates back to the 19th century, with the original formation of the Mersey Railway and the Mersey Railway Tunnel , among the first underground railway tunnels. The modern Merseyrail network was developed in
1860-619: The Class 507 took place in 2 parts, with the first tour being across the Wirral lines on 15 September 2024, the second part took covering the Northern Lines on 3 November 2024. On 28 January 2020, Swiss rolling-stock manufacturer Stadler Rail provided the first of a new fleet of 53 new train sets, designated Class 777 , built at Stadler's factory in Bussnang , Switzerland . The final units were due to enter service in 2021. The trains are based on
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1920-576: The Kirkby route, followed by the Ormskirk route. The trains were introduced to the Wirral Line, Ormskirk and Southport routes in late 2023. The Class 777 trains are capable of being propelled via onboard battery sets. The battery set per car can be up to 5 tonnes in weight. The batteries can be charged via a rail terminal charger and while operating on electrified tracks. When the Headbolt Lane extension
1980-412: The Liverpool City Region. Merseytravel has policies in place to improve the service frequency, new services and to invest on the City Line. Despite the City Line being operated by other train operators than Merseyrail, it is marketed and branded as Merseyrail to meet the passenger transport executive 's aims to provide the network with a local identity and shared fare and ticketing structures. The line
2040-452: The Liverpool City Region. The total route length of the two lines is 120.7 km (75.0 miles), accommodating 67 stations. The lines connect Liverpool city centre with cities and towns on the outer reaches of the city region, such as Southport , Chester and Ormskirk . Frequent intermediate stops serve other sections of the urban area. Unlike similar networks in the UK, Merseyrail infrastructure
2100-587: The METRO platform, Stadler's product family for underground trains also used on the Berlin U-Bahn and the Minsk Metro . The new trains are a custom-built, bespoke design specifically for the Merseyrail network, with driver only and guard capability. This differs from the previous fleet, which was built to a standard British Rail design for commuter services. The new trains have an articulated four-car design, compared to
2160-561: The Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society (MTPS) are also used at various times. These are: There are also two other trams at the museum: Both require new wheelsets, and are not capable of running on the tramway due to them being the wrong gauge. The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway is a narrow gauge of 3ft whereas the Wirral Tramway is British Standard gauge of 4ft 8 1/2 inches. The museum also displays numerous other old vehicles including cars, buses, motorbikes, cycles,
2220-510: The Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society. This was funded with the help of a £50,000 lottery heritage fund grant in 2010, with completion of the restoration in 2014. Other operational trams of the fleet include Birkenhead 20, Wallasey 78, Liverpool 762 and Lisbon 730. Meanwhile, horse-drawn tram Liverpool 43 is on display within the museum. The Technical Custodian held a National / Standard (2) Operator Licence. On his retirement in January 2014
2280-532: The Passenger Transport Executive ruled that they would not support the takeover because of the cost. Wirral then looked for operators who would contract to operate the tramway, and removed the requirement that the Pacific Road venue should continue to be an Arts Centre. Merseytravel reconsidered, on the basis that the tramway could become part of a larger system, serving the Wirral Waters development,
2340-533: The electrified Merseyrail network are operated by British Rail Class 507 electric multiple unit trains (EMUs). These along with the British Rail Class 508 electric multiple unit trains replaced pre-war Class 502 (originally constructed by the LMS ) and similar Class 503 EMUs. As of July 2024 , there are nine trains in service on the network. The fleet was refurbished between 2002 and 2005 by Alstom at
2400-419: The electrified sections into Merseyrail. New stations have also been opened. Seven of the Class 777 trains can operate using batteries, which has allowed the Northern Line to extend beyond the electrified track at Kirkby to a new terminus at Headbolt Lane . Merseyrail has its origins in the underground Mersey Railway of 1886, which forms the core, being the world's second underground passenger railway after
2460-421: The entitlement for the museum to use vehicles on a hire and reward basis ceased. Numerous static or semi-static exhibits are on display at the museum. These include an example model of one of the cranes at the former Bidston Dock , model buses, model trams and a model of the former Mersey ferry SS Thurstaston . A 26 feet (7.9 m) long OO gauge model railway layout, a reconstructed 1930s garage scene and
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2520-475: The museum's workshops, a 26 feet long model railway layout, a reconstructed 1930s garage scene and various other transport-related static exhibits. The museum was established in 1995 as the tram shed for the Wirral Tramway . In 2009, as part of its Strategic Asset Review, owners Wirral Borough Council planned to dispose of the museum, transferring it to a Community Development Trust. It recommended that "...
2580-447: The name was not used by Arriva when holding the franchise. Despite this, Merseytravel continued the Merseyrail branding at stations, allowing the name to be adopted colloquially. With acquisition by Arriva, the train operating company was rebranded Arriva Trains Merseyside from 27 April 2001. Merseyrail is referred to as "Merseyrail Electrics" by National Rail Enquiries , and as "Serco/Abellio Merseyrail" by Merseytravel. The City Line
2640-557: The network, including beyond the Liverpool City Region area. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announced in August 2019 that it was planning to use part of a £172 million funding package to reopen St James Station in Liverpool City Centre, officially confirmed as Liverpool Baltic station following a public vote in April 2022. Point-to-point or return tickets are purchased from staffed offices or ticket machines, but
2700-413: The operation of its maintenance depot at Kirkdale to Stadler Rail Service. The transfer of Kirkdale depot and Merseyrail engineering personnel took place in October 2017, as construction work to modernise the depot, which is the planned maintenance hub for the Class 777s, commenced. The first Class 777 unit entered into service on the Northern Line on 23 January 2023. Initially they were being used on
2760-666: The possibility of the trains serving routes to destinations such as Wrexham, Preston, Wigan and Warrington. The original service on the Merseyrail lines was provided by Class 502s on the Northern Line and Class 503s on the Wirral Line. The former was withdrawn by 1980 and the latter by 1985. Introduced from 1978 and 1979 respectively were 33 Class 507 and 43 Class 508 trains. Since the 1990s, fifteen Class 508s have been withdrawn as surplus and have later transferred to other operators with 12 units being transferred to Connex South Eastern and 3 units being transferred to Silverlink, with three Class 507 and 508 units, including unit 507006 after
2820-546: The previous three-car units, with a significantly increased overall capacity and faster acceleration and deceleration, which gives reduced journey times. A combination of reduced weight of 99 tonnes, representing a 5.5 tonne weight reduction, and more efficient electrical systems will give a 20% reduction in energy use. The trains are flexible, being capable of operating on a combination of any of 750 V DC third rail , 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead wires, or full battery operation using
2880-523: The proposed Wirral Waters development with the possibility of reusing track, rolling stock as well as pre-existing routes. The two four-wheeled Hong Kong trams are numbered 69 and 70 to follow on from the numbering of the original Birkenhead Corporation Tramways , the numbers of which went up to No.68. These are run from the Wirral Transport Museum in Taylor Street. In addition, trams from
2940-475: The rest of the National Rail network with no through passenger services to or from outside the third-rail Merseyrail network. A decision was to transfer the network into exclusive Merseytravel control, being removed from the national franchising system. The Secretary of State exempted the two lines from being designated as a national railway franchise under the 1993 Act. When the Mersey Rail Electrics franchise
3000-625: The river. After crossing the A554 , it runs between industrial units on a segregated formation, before finally crossing Taylor Street to enter the Wirral Transport Museum. There is a siding just before the Taylor Street crossing, and a passing loop at Pacific Road. In 2010, Wirral Council reviewed their strategic assets, and decided to dispose of the Tramway, the museum at Taylor Street, and the depot at Pacific Road, part of which had been converted to an Arts Centre. Merseytravel initially expressed an interest, but
3060-488: The specialist role of the Transport Museum be protected as far as possible." By 2014, the council was in discussions to hand over management of the museum to a volunteer organisation. In 2011, the museum welcomed comedian Ken Dodd , who took a ride on one of the trams for a BBC documentary. Ownership of the museum was transferred in March 2023 from Wirral Council to Big Heritage, a non-profit company that also runs
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#17328555025243120-529: The system is tightly integrated with Merseytravel's City Region-wide pass system, which also encompasses the Mersey Ferries and city and regional bus networks. Merseytravel's smart ticketing is via the local MetroCard smartcard system, including Merseyrail travel. Typical weekday off-peak service on the Merseyrail-run Northern and Wirral Lines, as of May 2023 , is as follows: Services on
3180-646: The terminus stations runs through Birkenhead Hamilton Square underground station in Birkenhead , then through the Mersey Railway Tunnel, continuing around the single track underground loop tunnel under Liverpool's city centre. Trains head back into the Mersey Railway Tunnel to return to one of the four terminus stations. Monday-Saturday services are every 15 minutes to/from Liverpool to Chester, New Brighton and West Kirby, and every 30 minutes to/from Ellesmere Port (Monday–Sunday). These combine to give
3240-580: The track was around 400 yards (370 m). The track was laid using rails reclaimed from the Liverpool Corporation Tramways system, and there were plans to extend the line to Egerton Dock as part of a project to redevelop parts of Birkenhead docks. Two trams were specially built for the tramway in 1992 by Hong Kong Tramways Ltd. They are double deck fully enclosed vehicles, although they run on standard gauge tracks of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) rather than
3300-482: The tramway. Construction of the tramway was authorised by the Wirral Tramway Light Railway Order 1994, obtained by Wirral Borough Council . When the line opened on 14 April 1995, it consisted of a single track, running largely on its own reservation, from Woodside Ferry Terminal, along Shore Road, to a terminus near Pacific Road. The depot was just before the Pacific Road terminal and the length of
3360-642: The usual Hong Kong tram gauge of 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ). The vehicles arrived in the United Kingdom in 1993, and acceptance trials were carried out on the Blackpool tramway , where the cars ran until the Wirral Tramway opened. Operation of the tramway was managed by Blackpool Transport Services . The tramway was extended along the north side of the Twelve Quays campus of Wirral Metropolitan College to reach Egerton Wharf, where it turns away from
3420-511: Was also privatised under the 1993 Act, but as part of a different, much larger North West Regional Railways (NWRR) franchise. Upon sale on 2 March 1997, the first train operating company awarded the NWRR franchise contract was North Western Trains (owned by Great Western Holdings ). The train operating company was later bought by FirstGroup and rebranded First North Western . The third-rail electric Northern and Wirral Lines were largely isolated from
3480-511: Was revoked, and the tramway resumed running in early January. The tramway closed again from October 2012 to February 2013, while new safety procedures were implemented. From January 2014, the MTPS has been responsible for the tramway, and it is now run entirely by volunteers. Wirral Street Car is a proposed extension to the current line to turn it into a feeder service for the Merseyrail network to serve
3540-452: Was set up in collaboration with volunteers from Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society. The Wirral Tramway commenced service in April 1995 with the Hong Kong -built, 1948-style units. Operated under contract by Blackpool Tramways for Wirral Borough Council, who took overall control in 2005. Hong Kong tramcar 69, which bears the name of George Francis Train & Phileas Fogg , received
3600-466: Was unveiled to the public, it was also announced that the original order of 52 units was increased to 53 to allow for some units to undergo battery trials. Following on from the trial, it was announced in July 2021 that the units tested had been able to travel up to 20 miles (32 km) without the need for recharging. The battery-powered trains run to Headbolt Lane station in Kirkby. The technology opens up
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