Welcome To Wirral

View a Map of this location

Birkenhead is the historic home of the first street tramway in Europe. It was here on August 29 1860 that Europe's first tramway was established, running from Woodside to Birkenhead Park. This early system was horse-drawn and was the brainchild of flamboyant American, George Francis Train, the real life character upon whom Jules Verne based his fictitious character Phileas Fogg in "Around the World in 80 days".

The tramway was electrified in 1901 and continued to operate throughout the town until it's eventual closure on 17 July 1937. By this time the petrol engine bus had taken over all routes. We are extremely lucky to have one of the fine examples of one of the double decker units, which inaugurated the first electric tram service in 1901. This vehicle, Birkenhead 20 is a fine example of an Edwardian tram. this tram and many others have been restored over a number of years by members of the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society.  

The trams you will ride on today may look and sound old but in fact they are fairly new! They were built in Hong Kong in 1992 with a U.K. chassis gauge specification, painted in original Birkenhead Livery and shipped to Wirral courtesy of P&O Containers. The design is a 1948 pattern and the vehicles approximate to the type common on the streets of Britain in the Forties and Fifties. They still operate in large numbers in the city of Hong Kong.

Take the tramway from Woodside Visitor Centre to The Old Colonial pub at the Taylor Street terminus. From the tram you may take a guided tour of the Heritage Centre housing a collection of restored and part-restored local buses and trams, and vehicles working for Wirral Museums. Now also showing items from the Baxter Collection of cars, motorbikes and motor accessories, formerly on show at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, and a model railway layout. Displays are constantly changing and developing. Climb aboard a genuine Hong Kong tram for your journey or, if you are lucky, one of the fleet of restored trams, including the open-topped 1901 Birkenhead tram 20, the 1920 Wallasey tram 78 or the 1931 Liverpool tram 762.

Open:
Saturday and Sunday only 1-5pm Except during School Holidays:
Easter, Spring Half Term and Summer: Wed-Sun 1-5pm

Open Bank Holidays 1-5 pm (except Christmas/New Year)

Other times by appointment only (0151) 666 4000

Tickets and timetable for Trams available from the Tourist Information Centre at Woodside Ferry Terminal.
Tel: (0151) 647 6780