Hamilton Square (officially known as Birkenhead Hamilton Square though maps and signage seldom use this name) is at the Wirral end of the railway tunnel under the Mersey.
Information
Type:
National Rail
(Merseyrail Wirral Line)
Station code:
BKQ
Opened:
1886
Platforms:
3
Hamilton Square was opened by the Mersey Railway in 1886. Along with Liverpool James Street on the other side of the Mersey it is the oldest deep-level underground railway station in the world. The route under the Mersey did not catch on until electrification in 1903 though, steam haulage in a tunnel under the river proving unpopular!
A burrowing junction was added in 1977 to allow West Kirby and New Brighton trains to pass under the Rock Ferry line allowing for increased service frequency [1]. A new third platform was also built for these services. The station received a major refurbishment in 2014.
Access between the surface and platforms is via lifts. Hamilton Square is a busy station with services towards Liverpool Centralat up to five minute intervals during peak periods.
Curved platforms can make despatch troublesome for the guard, especially on a six-car service
507 014 prepares to head below the river
The tunnel awaits
A replica of the original signage promoting the electric trains
View down the platform
Merseyrail 507 017 arrives
[1] Jonathan Cadwallader & Martin Jenkins, Merseyside Electrics (Ian Allan, 2010) p. 58
