Index
- Southport Extension Home
- Aintree Central
- Sefton & Maghull
- Lydiate
- Altcar & Hillhouse
- Mossbridge
- Woodvale
- Ainsdale Beach
- Birkdale Palace
- Southport Lords Street
Birkdale Palace
(1884 - 1952)
Birkdale Palace station opened on September 1 1884 and it was located on the western edge of Birkdale adjacent to the beach near to the Palace Hotel
It consisted of a long wide island platform with two platform faces and was connected to Weld Road by a covered stairway. Covering approximately half of the station's length was a canopy under which there were waiting rooms, booking facilities and toilets
Goods facilities in the form of 2 sidings were provided on the west side of the line
The December 1895 timetable showed 17 up (southbound direction) and 17 down (Southport Lord Street direction) trains on weekdays and on Saturdays there were extra trains and on Sundays 3 in each direction
The summer 1948 timetable showed 4 up and 3 down trains on weekdays and there were only 3 up and down services on Saturdays. No trains called at Birkdale Palace on Sundays
In 1942, the Birkdale Palace Hotel was taken over by the American Red Cross and used as a rest and recuperation centre for United States Army Air Force Bomber Crews. Over 15,000 crew members used the hotel between 1942 and 1945, and it is likely that many of them arrived and departed on special trains that would have run to Birkdale Palace station
The station was closed on January 7 1952 but the goods facilities were retained at Birkdale Palace until July 7 1952, after which the station closed completely
The station buildings were demolished soon after closure but the track remained in situ until 1955 and the platform survived until the late 1960s when the Coastal Road was constructed on the site
It consisted of a long wide island platform with two platform faces and was connected to Weld Road by a covered stairway. Covering approximately half of the station's length was a canopy under which there were waiting rooms, booking facilities and toilets
Goods facilities in the form of 2 sidings were provided on the west side of the line
The December 1895 timetable showed 17 up (southbound direction) and 17 down (Southport Lord Street direction) trains on weekdays and on Saturdays there were extra trains and on Sundays 3 in each direction
The summer 1948 timetable showed 4 up and 3 down trains on weekdays and there were only 3 up and down services on Saturdays. No trains called at Birkdale Palace on Sundays
In 1942, the Birkdale Palace Hotel was taken over by the American Red Cross and used as a rest and recuperation centre for United States Army Air Force Bomber Crews. Over 15,000 crew members used the hotel between 1942 and 1945, and it is likely that many of them arrived and departed on special trains that would have run to Birkdale Palace station
The station was closed on January 7 1952 but the goods facilities were retained at Birkdale Palace until July 7 1952, after which the station closed completely
The station buildings were demolished soon after closure but the track remained in situ until 1955 and the platform survived until the late 1960s when the Coastal Road was constructed on the site
