A fantastic walk along a mothballed freight line between Rock Ferry and Bidston, the line has been closed since 1993 with a lot of the original infrastructure still in situ.
The Birkenhead Dock Branch is a disused railway line running from the South junction of Rock Ferry, to the site of the former Bidston Dock on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The branch is approximately 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) in length. Although called a branch, the line was accessible from both ends, from Bidston East junction and from Rock Ferry railway station. The former Mollington Street Rail Depot was branched into the line. A section of the line runs through Haymarket Tunnel and a low-level cutting through the centre of Birkenhead; visible from the road flyovers. The former Canning Street North signal box still stands and the non-standard gates remain on the east side, but a fence has been erected on the other side despite the railway being officially out of use, rather than closed. Level crossings are also located at Duke Street and Wallasey Bridge Road. The railway lines are still partially intact.
As part of the Chester and Birkenhead Railway, the railway from Rock Ferry to Birkenhead Town is one of the oldest stretches of track in the world. The line was completed and opened on 23 September 1838, less than nine years after the Rainhill Trials, across the River Mersey, on the outskirts of Liverpool. Before Monks Ferry was opened in 1844, the line was originally to a temporary terminus known as Birkenhead Grange Lane station. Grange Lane engine shed was opened on 23 September 1840. The 1.125 mi (1.811 km) section, from Grange Lane to Bridge End near Cathcart Street, was built into a cutting known as the Sough (pronounced "Suff"), opening the same day as Birkenhead Park, on 5 April 1847. The connection with the Great Western Railway at Green Lane Junction was made in 1847.
In 1856-7, the Birkenhead Railway acquired a pair of 0-4-0T saddle tank locomotives, for use around the docks, from Sharp, Stewart These were renumbered as 95 and 96 by the GWR, after the joint takeover of the railway, with the LNWR, in 1860.
During the BR era, the line was used by various classes of diesel locomotive, primarily for hauling offloaded iron ore from Bidston Dock, to the John Summers Steelworks in Shotton. The John Summers wagons came under the TOPS code of PHO. Fully loaded, a train was limited to eleven of these wagons. This work was carried out by engines with a high traction capacity, usually either a Class 40 locomotive, or pairs of Class 24 or Class 25 locomotives. However, pairs of Class 20 diesels were also occasionally used, although very infrequently. This work was ceased in March 1980, when the steelworks at Shotton was closed.
Between 1983 and 1985, Class 503 electric multiple units were stored at Cavendish Sidings, before scrapping.
Amongst the few and final passenger workings on the line was the Birkenhead Bandit railtour, hauled by Class 40 locomotive 40122 D200, on 16 February 1985. Others included the Mersey Meanderer railtour on 19 April 1986, Hertfordshire Rail Tours' Wirral Withershins charter on 18 January 1986 and their Cheshire Cat charter, on 24 June 1989.
Goods workings continued on the line, for traffic to the Spillers Mill on East Float until the late 1980s with grain wagon traffic from Whitemoor Yard. Afterwards, a thrice-weekly coal train operated on the line until 1992.
Some of the last locomotives to have served within the dock complex were Birkenhead North TMD's allocation of Class 03 shunters, 03073, 03162, 03170 and 03189 all of which have been preserved. Indeed, the railways around the docks saw the last mainland use of the class by British Rail, before their withdrawal in March 1989. The last traffic along the line, from Birkenhead North to Rock Ferry, was a Class 08 shunter on 10 May 1993. Subsequently, the line was mothballed by Railtrack. However, the trackwork remains in place and various other railway artefacts are still in existence.
At Bidston, the line was connected to the Great Central Railway in 1896.
Produced by Allan Roach.