One incredible railway that offers a glimpse into the UK’s industrial past has been left abandoned for around 30 years, however, plans are in motion to transform the historic site. The four and a half mile track once played a key role in Liverpool’s booming docks.
It was frequently used by freight trains to transport goods such as coal, steel, and grain between the docks and the national rail network, after being built in the 19th century. However, as road transport developed and the shipping industry changed, the track, which runs from the south junction of Rock Ferry to the site of the former Bidston Dock on the Wirral Peninsula, was relied on less and less.
Bidston Dock became a major landing place for iron ore in the 1950s, however, as demand decreased, traffic diminished, and so did the line.
By the early 1990s, the Birkenhead Dock Branch was all but abandoned as the route became less necessary, and for over 30 years, nature began to reclaim it.
However, in 2021, Wirral Council consulted on plans to create a walking, cycling and public transport route along the line, which would “see the route brought back into use to benefit communities”.
It said the railway was currently inaccessible and effectively divided the local community into two, but the Birkenhead 2040 Framework would transform the “disused and overgrown railway” into a “world-class urban park”.
According to SLR consulting, which worked with Wirral Council on the plans, Dock Branch Park will run for over a mile through the heart of Birkenhead town centre.
It said: “It reinterprets a disused rail freight link that once fed the world famous docks at the Port of Liverpool; opening up walking and cycling between the waterfront, town centre and key growth locations as well as putting the people of Birkenhead in touch with the rich built heritage and natural capital of their area.”
Wirral Council expressed ambitions to preserve as much of the heritage of the line as possible, whilst making it usable for the community.
