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Borderlands line
The Borderlands line (Welsh: Llinell y Gororau or Lein y Gororau), also known as the Bidston–Wrexham or Wrexham–Bidston line, is a railway line between Bidston on the Wirral Peninsula in England and Wrexham Central in the north-east of Wales. Passenger train services are part of the Wales & Borders franchise and are operated by Transport for Wales Rail. The line connects to the Merseyrail network at Bidston, the North Wales Coast Line at Shotton and the Shrewsbury–Chester line at Wrexham General. Parts of the line in Wales are used by freight trains, serving Deeside Industrial Park and the Hanson Cement works to the south of Buckley.
The line is part of Transport for Wales' North Wales Metro improvement programme and is also referred to in England as the Mid Wirral line, as part of the line runs in the middle of the Wirral peninsula.
The line is operated by the Class 230 and the Class 197.
There have been various proposals for the line to be fully or partially integrated with the electrified Merseyrail network to increase services towards Liverpool. Past proposals for electrification on the line were deemed unfeasible due to costs. The potential introduction of Merseyrail's Class 777 on the line could expand services on the line into Liverpool.
In May 2025, as part of the announced Network North Wales programme, the Welsh government announced they would refer to the line as the Wrexham–Liverpool line (Welsh: Llinell Wrecsam–Lerpwl).
The line is used by freight trains at its southern end in Wales, serving Deeside Industrial Park and the Hanson Cement works south of Buckley. Amongst the biggest users of freight was the Shotton steelworks which received imported iron ore from Birkenhead's Bidston Dock, until the closure of the steelworks in 1980.
Upon privatisation, passenger services were transferred from Regional Railways to North West Trains, later known as First North Western. In 2003, a review led to the creation of the All-Wales Franchise, meaning services were transferred to Wales & Borders Trains. Arriva Trains Wales succeeded Wales & Borders on 8 December 2003, and operated all passenger services on the line until October 2018. KeolisAmey Wales (trading as Transport for Wales) then began its franchise until February 2021, when publicly-owned Transport for Wales Rail took over. Potential electrification plans could see the line transfer to Merseyrail.
Transport for Wales is currently the only passenger train operator on the line. There are proposals for Merseyrail to fully or partly operate on the line.
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Borderlands line AI simulator
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Borderlands line
The Borderlands line (Welsh: Llinell y Gororau or Lein y Gororau), also known as the Bidston–Wrexham or Wrexham–Bidston line, is a railway line between Bidston on the Wirral Peninsula in England and Wrexham Central in the north-east of Wales. Passenger train services are part of the Wales & Borders franchise and are operated by Transport for Wales Rail. The line connects to the Merseyrail network at Bidston, the North Wales Coast Line at Shotton and the Shrewsbury–Chester line at Wrexham General. Parts of the line in Wales are used by freight trains, serving Deeside Industrial Park and the Hanson Cement works to the south of Buckley.
The line is part of Transport for Wales' North Wales Metro improvement programme and is also referred to in England as the Mid Wirral line, as part of the line runs in the middle of the Wirral peninsula.
The line is operated by the Class 230 and the Class 197.
There have been various proposals for the line to be fully or partially integrated with the electrified Merseyrail network to increase services towards Liverpool. Past proposals for electrification on the line were deemed unfeasible due to costs. The potential introduction of Merseyrail's Class 777 on the line could expand services on the line into Liverpool.
In May 2025, as part of the announced Network North Wales programme, the Welsh government announced they would refer to the line as the Wrexham–Liverpool line (Welsh: Llinell Wrecsam–Lerpwl).
The line is used by freight trains at its southern end in Wales, serving Deeside Industrial Park and the Hanson Cement works south of Buckley. Amongst the biggest users of freight was the Shotton steelworks which received imported iron ore from Birkenhead's Bidston Dock, until the closure of the steelworks in 1980.
Upon privatisation, passenger services were transferred from Regional Railways to North West Trains, later known as First North Western. In 2003, a review led to the creation of the All-Wales Franchise, meaning services were transferred to Wales & Borders Trains. Arriva Trains Wales succeeded Wales & Borders on 8 December 2003, and operated all passenger services on the line until October 2018. KeolisAmey Wales (trading as Transport for Wales) then began its franchise until February 2021, when publicly-owned Transport for Wales Rail took over. Potential electrification plans could see the line transfer to Merseyrail.
Transport for Wales is currently the only passenger train operator on the line. There are proposals for Merseyrail to fully or partly operate on the line.