The Merseyrail service on the Wirral gets plaudits for its service levels, but this is nothing new. The lines to West Kirby and New Brighton from Liverpool are remarkable for their pastoral, seaside locations and the fact that they were electrified as far back as 1938. This book shows the Wirral lines in action over the past fifty years, including special trains, the centenary open days and normal trains. In recent years the electrified network has been extended to Chester. Today the line is the location of some of Britain’s oldest trains – all are more than forty years old. But the new trains have recently arrived and are already making an impact. The line is seldom featured in books, but here is celebrated with 180 rare and previously unpublished photographs.

'Evan's photographs are of a very high standard and have interesting and pithy captions about the rolling stock, stations and lines. This book will make you want to travel on the highly rated Merseyrail system and explore these routes.' * Railwatch, December 2024 *
'Rail journeys along the Wirral peninsula offer a stark contrast of scenic backdrops, from docklands, shipyards, oil refineries and urban sprawl, to idyllic farmland and bustling seaside resorts.' * Model Rail Magazine, March 2025 *
'A very enjoyable read.' * The Railway Magazine, January 2025 *

Having a father who ran a shop selling model railways probably sealed the fate of John Evans as a railway enthusiast. Spending all his money - and rather too much of his time - amassing a collection of railway pictures, he fortunately stored them carefully away. 'My education was undertaken at Northampton engine shed,' he jokes. He now lives in West Yorkshire and still ventures regularly to the lineside.