Birkenhead to Liverpool. How?

[gordon taylor]

I've booked a ferry from Belfast to Liverpool, but it actually docks in Birkenhead - at exactly the same time (1830) as the last ferry across the Mersey leaves on Saturday night. I need to get to Liverpool Lime St station ASAP.

Can I ride through the tunnels? Can bikes get on the train from Birkenhead?

Help please. I'm annoyed at myself for jumping at a bargain fare without checking things through. 

[Greenbank]

No to the tunnel: Mersey Tunnels - FAQ

Yes to the trains: Merseyrail - Bicycles

If you look at the map on the Mersey Rail site you'll see the Wirral line goes from Birkenhead over to Liverpool in a loop through Lime St and back over to Birkenhead.

Hamilton Sq station looks like the closest to the ferry terminal (if you look at the google map link on the Mersey Rail site).

I've no real life experience of this so wait for a local to respond...

[gordon taylor]

Thank you, GB.

The fare from Hamilton Square to Liverpool LS is only £1.85 so I'm a lot less grumpy now.

[andrewc]

From Hamilton Square you can take a train direct to Liverpool Lime St.  No problem with bikes on Merseyrail, most trains have a section reserved for bikes & prams and no one will make a fuss unless you block an exit.

From memory there are big passenger lifts at Hamilton Square rather than escalators.  At Lime St there are both.

Riding through the tunnel would not be allowed at that time & I can't see it being a pleasant experience  ....

"Can I ride my bicycle through the tunnel?

Bicycles are not permitted through the Kingsway Tunnel. Through the Queensway Tunnel, they are not allowed between the hours of 6.00a.m. to 8.00p.m., Monday to Friday, 7.00a.m. to 8.00p.m. on Saturday and 8.00a.m. to 9.00p.m. on Sunday. Please note, the time limits during a Sunday are only operational between 1st April and 30th September inclusive."

[SA_SA_SA_SA]

....From memory there are big passenger lifts at Hamilton Square rather than escalators.  At Lime St there are both.
...

On the way to York Rally this year I discovered that in Hamilton Square, the upper lifts are large but the the lower lift to get to the line under the mersey is tiny requiring luggage removed and bike held vertically. The single lift at St James Street was the same.

I presume Lime street lower level either has large lifts or directly exits to street level?
Similarly I presume Conway Park or Birkenhead Park either have large lifts or need no lifts respectively?

[andrewc]

I think you can walk to street level at Lime St, but come out over the road,   the lifts may require vertical bikes, I can't recall if you'd need to remove luggage.    Even though I live in the city I rarely take fully loaded bikes on the underground.  Unloaded bikes I ignore the signs & use the escalators with the bike on my shoulder.

[robgul]

.... at least you'll not have to listen to Gerry & The Pacemakers singing THAT SONG as the ferry starts its crossing 

Rob

[andrewc]

Years since I used them but I recall the lifts at James St station are huge. 

[SA_SA_SA_SA]

Years since I used them but I recall the lifts at James St station are huge. 

Thanks for the replies.
The upper lifts are huge (I had to wait while they did a fire test), but the one from the platform to the next level was tiny (and had a  puddle to avoid).