In the past, I've often used the West Midland service which requires no changes and gives the shortest overall journey time although it makes a number of stops. But I decided to see how I fared with Avanti who have been getting heavily criticised for poor service and large numbers of cancellations at short notice. In general, I believe these criticisms are justified (as are the wider complaints about our expensive, pathetic railway services) but, on 24th March, all my Avanti trains were on time and provided a decent service.
The plan was to catch a Euston to Glasgow via Birmingham 'Pendolino' service as far as Crewe, waiting there for a Euston to Liverpool via the Trent Valley Line 'Pendolino' train. The first train arrived on time and I quickly found my reserved seat in coach J at the rear. With major engineering works around Carstairs, I discovered that the train would be terminating at Preston where onwards passengers would probably be decanted onto a Transpennine service to continue their journey north. During my half hour non-stop journey to Crewe (depart Wolverhampton 08:32, due Crewe 09:07) I was the only passenger in the coach so the friendly catering staff had time to serve a reasonable cooked English Breakfast with white toast, butter and jam, together with a mug of tea and a glass of orange juice. I was intrigued by the rather small oval plates but the food was good and at least the crockery was glazed pottery not plastic and the cutlery steel so I forgave the relative lack of refinement and alighted at Crewe platform 11, right time, in a good mood.
Merseyside in March: Breakfast on Avanti 'Pendolino' Wolverhampton-Crewe
I'd about 20 minutes to wait for my connection, also from platform 11 but before that was due, a single unit DMU from Chester arrived in platform 11 from the north, discharged its passengers, re-loaded and scuttled off back to Chester. Although Crewe station is now a shadow of its former days, I still enjoy looking at what remains. There's a short post about a visit I made in the 1950s here. Although the station buildings have been repeatedly modified over the years, some of the grandeur of the LNWR expansion of the station in 1907 remains, particularly in what's left of the overall roof. The post here talks about the station buildings. On time, my connecting service came snaking in through Crewe South Junction and I boarded coach J at the rear of the 'Pendolino'. This train, reporting number 1F12, had left Euston at 07:43 and on leaving Crewe at 09:26 had one stop at Runcorn with a scheduled arrival at Liverpool Lime Street at 10:04.
Merseyside in March: Liverpool-bound 'Pendolino' on Avanti service 1F12 arriving at Crewe platform 11.
Catering was once again promptly offered and I accepted white toast and an orange juice as we sped along the familiar route to make a 'right time' arrival at Liverpool, where the weather was dry with patchy sun. Disembarking, I paused to record another view of the elegant train sheds and then some details of a conveniently located 3-aspect colour light signal supplied by Unipart Dorman before purchasing an All Areas 'Saveaway' day ticket which would give me flexibility to change my plans during the day.
Merseyside in March: Train Sheds at Lime Street viewed from platform 9.
I made my way to the underground Merseyrail station, unsure of my initial destination. With four trains an hour currently to New Brighton, West Kirby and Chester, plus two trains an hour to Ellesmere Port, I knew I should have less than five minutes to wait for a train. The first train was for New Brighton and I was tempted to stay on it all the way but uncertainty over the weather made me alight at James Street with the aim of taking a Mersey Ferry Trip before the possible deterioration of the weather. At street level, the sun was encouraging but there was quite a breeze coming from the river. Guessing that the next ferry would still be at 11 o'clock, I decided that I'd time to call in at the Museum of Liverpool to check on the preserved locomotive 'Lion' before continuing to Pierhead. Well, the exhibit was safe, if a little dusty, but I was pleased to see that the associated audio-visual screens which had been out of order on my last visit were working again. There's a short post about the audio-visual systems as originally installed here.
A short walk took me from the Museum to the ferry booking office. I knew that Seacombe landing stage had re-opened after a recent lengthy refurbishment. There's a brief mention of this work in the post about my trip in August 2021 here. But I hadn't realised that Birkenhead Woodside landing stage had now closed for two years whilst it, too, was refurbished. In the past, I have used the ferry to Seacombe and walked to New Brighton (in 2016) or the reverse (in 2019). But walking seemed ambitious and bus did not appeal so I booked a round trip 'River Explorer' which involved a modest extra payment. I boarded the waiting 'Snowdrop' (still in its 'dazzle' livery which I hate) and took up my customary position on the outside upper deck towards the bow. With the tide coming in, we were moored facing the sea. A combination of wind and tide made the water surge between the landing stage and the hull, giving the ferry an unpredictable motion which fortunately subsided once we were under way.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' at Pierhead looking downstream. Bunkering vessel 'Mersey Endurance' at Cruise Terminal on the right.
As the electronic chimes of the Liver Building clock struck eleven, the usual group of late passengers rushed to board and we cast off. The ferry initially headed downstream while the recorded commentary described some of the notable features of Liverpool North Docks, then we turned across channel and headed for Seacombe Landing Stage, finally turning to approach facing downstream.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' approaching the re-opened Seacombe Landing Stage, showing one of the new linkspans connecting the pontoon to the land.
We moored and the new powered gangway was lowered to let passengers off and on. I've always been amazed that the previous counterbalanced, manually operated gangways (usually requiring quite strenuous attention) have survived so long.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' berthed at the refurbished Seacombe Landing Stage. Note the new, hydraulic gangways.
The original method of positioning the pontoon with multiple anchor chains at each end has been retained. The lively sea in the picture below suggests the skill needed by the ferry skippers dock repeatedly without incident.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' at the re-opened Seacombe Landing Stage, showing pontoon anchor chains.
'Snowdrop' moved away from the landing stage and performed a 180 degree turn to starboard to continue upstream. We passed the entrance to the Great Float and Birkenhead Docks and the unoccupied Twelve Quays landing stage, used principally by Stena 'Ro-Ro' vehicle and passenger ferries to Belfast. It was a new experience to continue past Birkenhead Woodside landing stage without stopping. The only river traffic we saw was a tug heading downstream near the Liverpool shore and a dredger. Dredgers, of various types, are a permanent feature. The action of the tide and river flow continually shifts massive amounts of sand and keeping marked channels to adequate depths means dredgers are always required.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' heading upriver in choppy conditions with the Liverpool Shore and Anglican Cathedral in background. Note tug going down river and dredger.
On the Birkenhead shore to starboard (our right) we then passed the Cammell Laird shipyard with its large Wet Basin and Dry Docks used for ship repair work. The picture below gives an idea of the layout.
Aerial view of Cammell Laird shipyard: River Mersey top left, Wet Basin top right, various dry docks in the centre (Photo: Cammell Laird Ltd)
One of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary 'Tide' class tankers, 'Tiderace' A137 was dry docked.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' of Cammell Laird docks showing Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tanker 'Tiderace' dry-docked.
'Ben My Chree' was in an adjacent dry dock. She is a 'Ro-Ro' vehicle and passenger ferry built 1998 (125m long, 40m beam) operated by Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, normally on the Heysham - Douglas route. The Company refer to her as a 'Ro-PAX' and cite her as a reliable performer.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' of Cammell Laird docks with 'Topaz Tangaroa' multi-purpose offshore vessel (background) and 'Ben My Chree' Ro-PAX ferry (foreground).
As 'Snowdrop' continued upstream, I had a better view of 'Topaz Tangaroa' in the Wet Basin. Her whole foredeck is enclosed to provide accommodation for 82 crew and blended into the bridge giving her a bullet-like appearance, somewhat diminisheded by the helicopter deck mounted above on columns. The rear of the ship is a flat workdeck, dominated by a massive side-mounted crane. Length is 98m, breadth is 20m. She was built in 2019 by Vard in Norway as a multi-purpose offshore vessel for Topaz Energy and Marine in Dubai. Registered in the Marshall Islands, she is operated by P&O Offshore Logistics, based in Dubai. There's brief information here.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' of Cammell Laird docks with 'Irish Sea Pioneer' drill ship (visible left) and 'Topaz Tangaroa' multi-purpose offshore vessel (centre).
But the award for the oddest-looking vessel went to 'Irish Sea Pioneer', also in the Wet Basin. Built in 1996 by Bollinger in the USA for Halliburton-BHP and 55m (or perhaps 47m) long with 24m beam, she's a type of Offshore Support Vessel variously termed a 'drillship', a 'giant liftboat' or a 'four legged jack-up boat'. There's a fascinating article here and more than you need to know about designing such a vessel in a Conference Paper here.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' of Cammell Laird docks with 'Irish Sea Pioneer' drill ship (left) and Topaz Tangaroa' multi-purpose offshore vessel (right).
Leaving Cammell Laird astern, we approached Tranmere Oil Terminal with its oil storage tanks one of which, I noticed, has acquired a partial geodesic-domed roof. As we turned across river towards the Liverpool shore, there were two oil tanker berthed at Tranmere, each attended by a tug. I assumed the tugs were there as fire precautions because all modern tugs have powerfull water pumps and and water monitors for firefighting. I was unable to identify any of the vessels visually. I've explained in the post Watching The Ships Go By how ships with Automatic Identification System (AIS) operating can be identified and tracked. The whole of the river area 'Snowdrop' had cruised can be displayed in real time here.
Merseyside in March: View from 'Snowdrop' of Tranmere Oil Terminal showing two unidentified, berthed oil tankers, each attended by a tug.
Now heading downstream, 'Snowdrop' passed the re-development of the former South Docks, the remarkable preserved area of Albert Dock, the offensive modern architecture of the Museum of Liverpool and berthed back at Pierhead in the shadow of the Three Graces as the iconic Custom House, Cunard Building and Liver Building are known. UNESCO awarded Liverpool World Heritage Status in 2004 for the “outstanding universal value” of its waterfront but this accolade was lost in 2021 because of “irreversible loss” to the historical value of its Victorian docks caused by insensitive redevelopment which continues with the construction of a new football stadium for Everton Football Club at the former Bramley-Moore Dock. I left the ferry after an interesting cruise, passing the long queue of passengers waiting on the landing stage to board the 12 noon cuise.
I walked back to James Street Merseyrail station, intending to catch a train to New Brighton. That didn't prove quite as straightforward as I hoped. The first train to arrive was for Chester, so I remained on the platform, looking at the artwork applied to the original patterned tiling on the normally-unused platform 2. I'm afraid I preferred the original, tiled decorations.
Merseyside in March: View of Merseyrail James Street station showing artwork on the normally-unused platform 2, looking towards Birkenhead.
The next arrival was for New Brighton train so I boarded. Like the Chester train, it was a Class 507, a 40-year old veteran, not one of the new Stadler Swiss-built Class 777 currently being introduced. We made the usual rather noisy progress under the river via the Mersey Tunnel and stopped at Birkenhead Hamilton Square. After a flurry of passenger activity, we set off, taking the flyunder to reach New Brighton/West Kirby line. We stopped at Conway Park, an unattractive, modern sub-surface construction in a deep 'station box', open to the sky. The doors opened. A few passengers alighted and boarded. The doors closed. Then nothing. Squinting through the window, I could just see reflected light from the colour light signal at the end of the platform. It was red. After a few minutes, the lady driver announced over the public address a delay because the traction current had been disconnected. No comment about reason (usually a fault or an accident) or likely delay so we all waited in silence. After a few more minutes, another announcement invited us to continue our journey by other means, if we wished and the doors were released. Nobody moved at first, then a trickle of passengers left the train which turned, lemming-like into a flood which I joined, pausing only for a picture of the stranded train and to note a poster saying that the Kirkby Line was the first to be operating Class 777 trains. I just managed to join an already-crammed lift to the surface.
Merseyside in March: View of Merseyrail Conway Park station from platform, with my train stranded by an unexpected traction current interruption.
I started to form a plan to walk back to Hamilton Square station, where I hoped trains to other destinations would still be running. The local area map in the booking hall didn't give me a clear idea of the roads I needed to get to Hamilton Square and even Google Maps on my mobile phone had trouble giving me details, but after a while, I decided on a route to take. The Conway Park station is next to a roundabout on Europa Boulevard, a dual carriageway with a broad central reservation of well-established trees. The area is partially redeveloped but with little traffic. I followed the dual carriageway north to a rather abrupt T-junction with Price Street. Turning right, I came to a railway bridge over what had been two parallel, double-line railways, long disused. I realised this would have been the goods lines to Birkenhead Docks which formerly diverged from the main Chester - Birkenhead Woodside L.M.S. & G.W.R. joint line at Blackpool Street signal box. An earlier post here gives a little background on the railways around Birkenhead. I decided a photograph of the location would be useful and, whilst framing the shot, stumbled on an uneven pavement and crashed to the floor, falling painfully on my left arm. A concerned lady came over to see if I needed help but nothing appeared broken (although everything hurt). I dragged myself upright and assured the lady I would be fine, making sure I had taken the picture.
Long-disused Goods Lines to Birkenhead Docks at Price Street, Birkenhead.
I slowly continuing along Price Street to Hamilton Square itself where I rested on one of the seats in the gardens before continuing to nearby Hamilton Square station.
Hamilton Square Gardens, Birkenhead (Return to New Brighton)
I caught a train back toward Liverpool with thoughts of changing to the Northern Line and visiting Kirkdale (where the depot servicing the Kirkby Line is located) but when the public address announced that, after traversing the Liverpool Loop, the train was for New Brighton, I decided that I was happy to just stay on the train and be taken to my original destination. I felt a sense of deja vu, as my train left James Street, made a brief stop at Hamilton Square Station and arrived at Conway Park. This time, after a normal delay, we carried and called at Birkenhead Park.
On the way to the next station, Birkenhead North (where the New Brighton line diverges from the West Kirby line), my hope that I'd soon be in New Brighton was dashed by a announcement from the lady driver that the service would terminate at Birkenhead North. She explained that extreme late running caused by the earlier traction current disconnection meant that, in an attempt to get back to schedule, the train would return to Liverpool. At Birkenhead North, platform 3 filled with disappointed passengers decanted from my train. I noticed a loaded train in platform 1, which I assumed was about to leave for Liverpool but, after a couple of minutes, these passengers got off and used the overbridge to get to platform 3 and joined the train I'd just abandoned. I'd not previously noticed the trailing crossover and position light ground signal on the main line at the Liverpool end of platform 3. The ground signal came 'off' and my train set off through the reversed crossover to reach the correct line and scuttled off back to Liverpool. The passenger information screen (an orange scrolling LED display capable of detailing the next three departures) displayed some rather unlikely timings for a while but eventually settled down to show the next train for West Kirby with the second train for New Brighton. The West Kirby train arrived and departed and, eventually, the promised New Brighton arrived, allowing the waiting passengers to pile aboard for the ten minute journey to New Brighton, stopping at Wallasey Village the Wallasey Grove Road.
So, despite the delays and my fall, I made it to New Brighton. I turned left on leaving the station and made my way north down Atherton Street towards the Marine Promenade. Liverpool Businessman James Atherton (1770-1836) is credited with developing the North Wirral and New Brighton.
Looking north down Atherton Street from the station (Return to New Brighton)
James Atherton (Williamson Art Gallery and Museum)
I explored along the main road parallel to the promenade, King's Parade, as far as RNLI's New Brighton Lifeboat station but decided not to navigate the car parks and modern retail and hospitality developments to reach the sea wall itself, thinking I'd probably had enough excitement for one day and that I should focus on getting home. It was quite a stiff climb back up Atherton Street to the station and, when the train arrived, I was quite content to flop on board and wait for departure. The journey back to Liverpool Lime Street Low Level was without incident then escalators and walking took me to the main line concourse where I could select my return train.
At 15:33 there was a direct Birmingham service (a Class 350 'Desiro' reporting number 1G59) but I decided to see what the catering was like on Avanti's London service at 15:43 (reporting number 1A58) which meant at least a change at Crewe. The inbound Avanti 'Pendolino' arrived in platform 9, discharged its passengers and departing passengers immediately started to board so I trekked almost the length of the train to reach First Class. I was surprised at how many passengers had already boarded but I found a suitable table and almost immediately the attendant appeared although we were not due to leave for over ten minutes. I explained that I was only going to Crewe with them and studied the menu, ordering an orange juice and a Mushroom and Cheese Croque with Bechamel Sauce which I'd not tried before. The jolly attendant said he'd get the toasted sandwich started, to make sure I had plenty of time to enjoy it. In fact, the hot food and cold drink arrived before we set off up the 1 in 93 bank to Edge Hill and were excellent, ensuring a relaxing journey to Crewe. I monitored the journey on my mobile phone using the Railcam.UK 'app' (there's a brief introduction to this 'app' here). My express only stopped at Runcorn before Crewe whereas 1G59 which had left Liverpool just ten minutes ahead of us made stops at Liverpool South Parkway, Runcorn, Acton Bridge, Hartford and Winsford before Crewe.
Although the Working Timetable suggested that my train would not be 'baulked' by the preceding Class 350, watching the live display on Railcam.UK suggested that we were catching up and we were actually brought to a stand briefly before Winsford. The rest of the journey to Crewe was a bit subdued and we stopped again at signal 0144 outside Crewe. After a couple of minutes, the signal cleared and, as we moved away, I caught a glimpse of a Class 66 with a train of yellow-painted, loaded bogie stone wagons moving from the Up Slow to the Up Liverpool Independent and descending the gradient to enter the tunnel under Crewe North Junction before emerging in a cutting on the Down side of the station. In steam days, this cutting was always referred to as "The Muckhole" by the army of trainspotters always to be found around the footbridge used by enginemen between the station and Crewe North Shed. Railcam.UK identified the Stone train as 6K06, Shap to Basford Hall. As we stopped in platform 5, the train which had slowed our approach to Crewe, 1G59, was still in adjacent platform 6, awaiting the 'right away'.
I left the Avanti train (1A58 was next stop Milton Keynes then Euston) to look for a service stopping at Stafford and discovered another Avanti London service due in platform 1 in a few minutes with a Stafford call. The train arrived and, with only a 20 minute dash to Stafford, I was happy to join the Quiet Coach at the rear with just one other passenger.
At Stafford, I left the station and took a taxi home, very tired but pleased with the trip.
Previous similar Liverpool trips/strong>
Trip on 1st April 2022
Trip on 9th January 2016
My pictures from this trip
Merseyside in March
