Place Birkenhead Station code CNP DfT category E Address Birkenhead CH41 4PP, UK Pte Merseytravel | Grid reference SJ320889 Managed by Merseyrail 2011/12 1.718 million Number of platforms 2 | |
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Similar Birkenhead Central railway st, Birkenhead Hamilton Square ra, Birkenhead Park railway st, Birkenhead North railway st, Green Lane railway st | ||
Conway Park railway station is situated in the town centre of Birkenhead, Wirral, England. It lies on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network.
Contents
History
Conway Park is the newest station on the Wirral Line. In 1990, the Merseyside Development Corporation joined with British Rail and Merseyrail to study the cost of the new station. The station opened to the public on 22 June 1998, after an official opening by Neil Kinnock on 24 April 1998. Conway Park is between Birkenhead Park and Hamilton Square stations, approached on either side by a tunnel built by the Mersey Railway in the 1880s. It was built by excavating a box downwards, opening out the roof of the tunnel, which is 18 m (59 ft) below ground level. The platforms are reached by stairs or lifts from the ticket office.
The station was built in order to provide a station on the lines from New Brighton and West Kirby that was more convenient for the town centre of Birkenhead than either Birkenhead Park or Hamilton Square (which are otherwise the nearest stations). Its name comes from the name of the redevelopment area on the north side of the town centre in which it is situated. The name has come under criticism as some regard it not to be particularly indicative of the station's location. When it was originally being planned, the station was known as Birkenhead Market. The platforms are protected by ticket barriers. The road which the station is situated on is Europa Boulevard.
A cycle rack was built and opened inside the ticket hall in 2015.
Facilities
The station is staffed during all opening hours and has platform CCTV. There are toilets, a payphone, a vending machine, booking office and live departure and arrival screens, for passenger information. The station doesn't have a free car park, though there is a drop-off point on Europa Boulevard, as well as a "Pay and Display" car park, to the rear of the station as viewed from Birkenhead town centre. Step-free access to the platforms, for wheelchairs and prams, is possible, via the lifts. Each platform also has sheltered seating. Free Wi-Fi was introduced in October 2015. There is secure cycle parking for 10 cycles.
Services
Trains operate every 15 minutes (Monday to Saturday daytime) to New Brighton and West Kirby and every 5–10 minutes via Hamilton Square and the Mersey Railway Tunnel 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 508 EMUs.