Crossing the Mersey on Sunday/ by train

[SA_SA_SA]

I discovered the Mersey ferries don't run till later on Sundays, which is inconvenient if have stepped off an Irish Sea ferry arriving at 6.30am so I got the train but....

although advised by local cyclist (at Seacombe) to goto Birkenhead Park (I think) possibly because it was on route of the then diversion from the ferry port (gone now due to new bridge) but I recognised Hamilton Square first and thinking as an all underground station it would have huge lifts, went there...... but the lifts to the line under the mersey are tiny, hard to find and required luggage removal and bike held vertically: similarly when I got of at James St the same tiny lift: ( :

so I presume it would have been better to use different stations (eg Birkenhead Park as suggested?) and Lime Street in order to get bigger lifts are avoid the need for lifts? Any local knowledge?

[in4time]

Ride to Conway Park Station, not too far from ferry, about 1.5 miles and there is a bigger lift there.

[SA_SA_SA]

Thanks, and where is best to get off in liverpool? :----

Lime street lower level?

(anywhere near pier head or on way to Leeds and liverpool canal start will do).

[crazydave789]

cool you doing L-L then, I'm trying to get my brother to do it with me later this summer. I was thinking to bimbling up the shropshire union cross the mersey ditch and was wondering the best way as well.

[SA_SA_SA]

cool you doing L-L then, I'm trying to get my brother to do it with me later this summer. I was thinking to bimbling up the shropshire union cross the mersey ditch and was wondering the best way as well.

(was) Just cycling to the York Rally, last year cycled Liverpool to Colne on the canal, this year just to the outskirts of liverpool then more of mix of canal and roads. So far lime street seems the best place to get off.

[crazydave789]

cool you doing L-L then, I'm trying to get my brother to do it with me later this summer. I was thinking to bimbling up the shropshire union cross the mersey ditch and was wondering the best way as well.

(was) Just cycling to the York Rally, last year cycled Liverpool to Colne on the canal, this year just to the outskirts of liverpool then more of mix of canal and roads. So far lime street seems the best place to get off.

I've done it by boat so quite fancied doing it by bike. maybe throwing the bike onto someones boat to help with wigan flight again.

[in4time]

Get off at James Street. Up in the lift to street level. Turn right down towards the river front. Walk over the n+ lanes road that stands between you and the river and you're good to go.

[SA_SA_SA]

Get off at James Street. Up in the lift to street level. Turn right down towards the river front. Walk over the n+ lanes road that stands between you and the river and you're good to go.

But the platform lift in James Street is really small requiring panniers (of camping stuff) removal etc and bike held vertically: hence my desire to find somewhere with bigger lifts/ no lifts required.

[in4time]

Here y'go: Merseytravel contacts page.

https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/about-u ... ct-Us.aspx

That should help.

[Alan O]

Get off at James Street. Up in the lift to street level. Turn right down towards the river front. Walk over the n+ lanes road that stands between you and the river and you're good to go.

But the platform lift in James Street is really small requiring panniers (of camping stuff) removal etc and bike held vertically: hence my desire to find somewhere with bigger lifts/ no lifts required.

I exited at James Street just over a week ago, and it was even worse than that - the platform level lift was out of order. So I had to hump my (thankfully not heavily laden) bike up the first set of stairs to the main bigger lifts. Shame, because James Street is the ideal station for getting to the Pier Head end of the L-L canal.

Lime Street is the only other Liverpool station I've used with a bike, but I can't remember what the lifts are like - though I don't have any recollection similar to the tiny ones at James Street and at Hamilton Square, which tend to stick in the mind. Sorry I'm not much help (especially as a cycling Liverpool native).

The best thing to do, I think, is call Merseytravel and ask about the lifts at various stations - I've always found Merseytravel to be very helpful, and far more cycling friendly than most.

Another possible option is that cycling through the Queensway tunnel (the Birkenhead/old one) is allowed before 8am on a Sunday (between 1st April and 30th September inclusive) - see https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/tunnels ... fault.aspx. I think you'd have to be quite mad to do it, but I felt I had to mention it.

[RickH]

Lime St has a small lift up from the underground line. I don't think I've ever used it as I've often been soloing a tandem, getting a connection to/from Wigan, & have just used the escalators (apart from 5 or 6 stairs to initially get you up from the platform). The escalators are OK - I find bikes tend to roll into the steps rather than trying to roll off - and I've never had my use of them with a bike/tandem questioned.

I'm sure I've got off at James St a couple of times, once almost certainly with the tandem (& my sight impaired stoker), but I've absolutely zero recollection of how I got to street level but suspect I just used stairs/escalator if that is an option.

Also to be noted is that the L-L towpath is currently closed from Stanley locks to Spencer's Lane, just north of the M57, while they repair a collapsed culvert below the canal on that stretch.

[Alan O]

Also to be noted is that the L-L towpath is currently closed from Stanley locks to Spencer's Lane, just north of the M57, while they repair a collapsed culvert below the canal on that stretch.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/1 ... pool-canal does suggest that the towpath is closed, but a cycling friend has been riding it this week and says it's open apart from a small section near Melling (at the northern end of the affected section) which is easy to bypass. I suspect the "Is Towpath Closed? Yes" must mean there's some closure of the towpath, but the entire affected section does not appear to be closed.

[SA_SA_SA]

I think Birkenhead Park sounds best on Wirral side as is before tunnel section, so (apparently according to web) has ramp down to track level.

For the Liverpool side I found this site
https://www.disabledgo.com/access-guide/liverpool-city-council/moorfields-station
which says the lifts in Moorfield are 10cm longer at 140cm than at the other 3 loop stations which I think is just about long enough for my 26in wheel bike to wheel in with bars turned and frame at an angle.

[Tabby]

I go into Liverpool fairly often. I use Moorfields which is towards the Pier Head. I also use Central Station but the lifts are more of a squeeze - bike has to go in diagonal.
Sorry, can’t comment on across the water in Birkenhead.

Tabby

[sixmile]

I go into Liverpool fairly often. I use Moorfields which is towards the Pier Head. I also use Central Station but the lifts are more of a squeeze - bike has to go in diagonal.
Sorry, can’t comment on across the water in Birkenhead.

Tabby

I take it then that a tandem wouldn't work in the lifts?..

I'm planning a summer trip with my two kids (6 & *8) and plan on using a tandem and if required, pulling our double trailer behind us. Logistically I'm trying to work out the possibilities of certain sections, especially as I am the only adult so any lifting, dismantling or lugging will be done by me. So far I've worked out how I can get from Belfast to Isle of Man to Heysham and down to Liverpool but I can't see an easy way to get over the Mersey with a large bike, trailer and a few kiddies. Any help would be appreciated!

There seems to be a 'commuter' ferry running Monday to Friday across the Mersey (obvious off at the moment due to Covid-19) but that may be our best bet. I'm planning the trip for mid-July.