I began my journey to Hamilton Square on the 411 from New Brighton instead of taking the train. Upon arriving at Hamilton Square, I boarded my first train, which happened to be a West Kirby train. However, that took me to my first official station, Birkenhead Park. I plan to officially tick Hamilton Square off my list when I travel on the Chester line.

I had a brief wait at Birkenhead Park before catching my train to Conway Park, one of my favourite stations on the Merseyrail network. I might write a blog post detailing why it’s my favourite. I also quite like Aughton Park Station! I had a short wait at Conway Park for my next train to Leasowe Station.

From Leasowe, I had a few minutes before my next train to Bidston. By travelling from A to C and then C to B, I have a short break before my connecting train to the next station. This approach is useful when trains run every hour or half-hour. For instance, the line from Headbolt Lane operates hourly, so skipping a few stations reduces my time at the changing station.

I travelled from Bidston to Meols, bypassing Leasowe and Moreton stations along the way. I quite enjoy the West Kirby line, so it’s always a pleasure to revisit it occasionally. Meols is a charming station and has won four Best Kept Station awards, which I find quite impressive. From Meols, I headed towards Moreton on my next train, leaving me with just two stations to visit before reaching the end of the line at West Kirby.

From Moreton, I boarded my next train at 14:30 to Hoylake. One thing I dislike about certain stations is that Hoylake has a level crossing, so to cross the platforms, there’s only a footbridge. Additionally, the platforms meet at both Hoylake and Moreton stations, which means I often have to wait for the next train 15 minutes later. This isn’t too bad, but it’s cold at the time of writing.

Leaving Hoylake, I made my way to my penultimate station, Manor Road, where I was pleased to find only a 7-minute wait before my train to West Kirby. I have a fondness for Manor Road, which opened in the early 1940s and features a nearby foot crossing leading to the land behind it. From Manor Road, I boarded my final train to West Kirby, the terminus.

Finally, heading to West Kirby, which opened 40 years earlier than New Brighton station, which I believe opened in 1888. West Kirby station opened to passengers in 1848. It also became a through station with services to Hooton via Parkgate & Thurstaston, which is now a disused railway, and you can walk the entire length. I plan to write a blog on that line in the near future.

Thank you for reading this latest post. I hope to bring back Bus Stations, with some coming from Greater Manchester, like Eccles, Stockport, and Oldham. I hope you understand the reasons I have restarted this challenge in 2026. I want to do it right and have photos of every single station I’ve visited, and also do them in order of each line. So, watch this space, and I’ll see you in the next one from Headbolt Lane.