BIDSTON TO WREXHAM

Bidston is at the northern end of the Borderlands line, across the River Mersey from Liverpool. Our journey takes us south across the Wirrall Peninsula and onwards to Wrexham aboard a class 150/2 of Transport for Wales.
The route we follow was built by two companies. The North Wales & Liverpool Railway met at an end-on junction with the Wrexham, Mold & Connah’s Quay Railway.
The biggest challenge was to get the railway across the River Dee, and Hawarden Bridge stands as a monument to the engineering genius of the time. It was a stipulation that river traffic on the Dee would not be impeded by the railway, so a swing bridge was constructed which could be opened to allow shipping to pass. When it came into use it was the biggest bridge of its type in the country.
Once we cross the river we encounter the hills of North Wales, and there are some spectacular gradients to climb and descend of as much as 1:53. We’ll travel on a mix of jointed and welded track, and encounter a class 66 locomotive named after the Railway King, Sir Edward Watkin, who made the first attempt to link England with France through an undersea tunnel.
We arrive at Wrexham General station before the final half-mile section to the terminus at Wrexham Central.
On-screen graphics display the current signal aspects and speed limits, along with the names of stations that we pass through or stop at. Animated maps help to show our routing.
There’s full commentary throughout, but as usual, if you prefer, you can opt to silence the narration to sit back and concentrate on the relaxing sounds of the journey.