Birkenhead North Railway Station is more in need of Park and Ride than Bidston, say councillors

Jun 3 2009 by Carrie Catterall, Birkenhead News

BIRKENHEAD NORTH Railway Station is being “left behind” as Bidston prepares to get a new Park and Ride service.

As soon as funding is granted from the European Regional Development Fund, Bidston’s £1m rail service makeover will begin.

Some councillors are enraged and say Birkenhead North Station would have been a better Wirral station to place the new service.

Designs for Bidston indicate that there will be approximately 190 new car parking spaces, lighting columns and CCTV to meet Merseytravel’s Travelsafe requirements and construction is set to begin later this year.

Bidston councillor Harry Smith said: “There is a vast swathe of recently cleared land opposite Birkenhead North Station which is ideally situated to accommodate a Park and Ride.

“Everyday the area outside the station is inundated with unregulated parked private cars left there by commuters.

“It will also cost commuters to Liverpool around an extra £65 per year if they used the Bidston service rather than a Birkenhead North service, as it’s £2. 95 each way from Bidston and £2. 70 each way from Birkenhead North.

“Will the motorists be happy with this situation? I think not – indeed, given the numbers at Birkenhead North Station, I would suggest that they are already voting with their feet.”

A spokesman from Merseytravel said: “A Park and Ride service at Birkenhead North Station is still a proposal that we are looking to do but it is just not as progressed as Bidston.”

Cllr Smith added: “If they are still thinking of building a Park and Ride at Birkenhead North then it’s news to me.”