Midland - wirral line memory 1

I used to travel on this line everyday as a school child going from my home in Chester to my school in Birkenhead. My journey to school involved travelling on two trains and a bus. I would get on the train at Upton-by-Chester station which was the first station on the line to Birkenhead after Chester. It no longer exists but has been replaced by Bache station about 1/2 a mile nearer to Chester. The trains were always a four car Metro Cammell diesel multiple unit and were usually about half full, but by the time it reached Bromborough it did get full. In those days (the early 70's) it went as far as Rock Ferry where there was a barrier at the end of the platform photo link and we all changed to a Merseyrail 3rd rail electric train which went all the way to Liverpool Central. Soon after Rock Ferry I could remember there being a glorious view of the Liverpool skyline across the River Mersey, before the train went underground to Green Lane station. I would get off at the next station, Birkenhead Central, along with about ten other schoolmates who had got on at Bromborough, before getting a bus to school. On the return journey, we finished school at 4.00pm and rushed to get the 4.30pm train from Rock Ferry. We needed to get to Birkenhead Central by 4.20 pm to catch the connection, but sometimes the bus was late and I ended up missing the 4.30 train. So the next one was a whole 3/4 hour wait. I'm glad to say that the trains to Chester are a lot more frequent nowadays and do go straight from Birkenhead and Liverpool to Chester. MC