Birkenhead Central railway station

Birkenhead Central
Location
Place	Birkenhead
Local authority	Wirral
Operations
Station code	BKC
Managed by	TransPennine Express
Number of platforms	5
DfT category	B
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2013/14	0.910 million
2014/15	1.063 million
2015/16	0.965 million
2016/17	0.933 million
2017/18	0.891 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	Merseytravel
Zone	B1
History
1886	Opened
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Birkenhead Central from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

Birkenhead Central is a railway station serving the town of Birkenhead, Wirral, England. Situated on the south side of Birkenhead town centre, it lies on the Ellesmere Port branch of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network. The station is in a deep cutting and reached by stairs down from the street level entrance.

Operated by TransPennine Express, the station operates local Merseyrail services to to Liverpool Central and Ellesmere Port, along with services operated by TPE, Northern and CrossCountry to regional and inter-city destinations including Chester, Manchester, Crewe, Birmingham, Leicester and Norwich.

History

Birkenhead Central station was opened in 1886 as part of the Mersey Railway's route from Liverpool, via the Mersey Railway Tunnel under the River Mersey. The station was the location of the Mersey Railway's headquarters. The disused building of Birkenhead Central depot, which closed in the 1990s, remains adjacent to the platforms. The station platforms were refurbished and finished in 2012.

Facilities

The station is staffed, during all opening hours, and has platform CCTV. There are toilets, several payphones, a vending machine, booking office and live departure and arrival screens, on the platform, for passenger information. Each platform has a waiting shelter, as well as sheltered seating. The station does not have a car park, but does have a secure cycle locker with 28 spaces. Access to the station is by ramp, and there is step-free access to the platforms, for wheelchairs and prams, via the lifts. The station also has a snack bar, in the main booking hall.

Services

TransPennine Express

Merseyrail

Northern

CrossCountry

• Hourly services to Norwich call at Bromborough, Chester, Crewe, Stafford, Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Peterborough, March, Ely, and Thetford.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Green Lane		Northern Birkenhead - Chester/Crewe		Terminus
Rock Ferry		Northern Connect Birkenhead Central - Manchester Piccadilly		Terminus
Bromborough		TransPennine Express South TransPennine		Terminus
		CrossCountry Birkenhead - Norwich
Preceding station		Merseyrail		Following station
Green Lane towards Ellesmere Port		Wirral Line Ellesmere Port branch		Hamilton Square towards Liverpool Central

Gallery

• 

  Original Mersey Railway painted sign on Birkenhead Central station, the company's former headquarters.

• 

  View northward, towards Birkenhead (Hamilton Square) and Liverpool in 1961.

• 

  The former Birkenhead Central carriage shed.

• 

  The station building.