Despite recent progress, the reopening of the ferry terminal looks a long way off
The Mersey Ferry(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
The Mersey Ferry may not return to its Birkenhead terminal until at least 2028 due to planned major works in the area. This means the Woodside ferry terminal will have been closed for at least five years.
In December, the new landing stage and passenger bridge was installed at the ferry terminal as part of a £9m refurbishment. Now a final fit out will be carried out which will include “a modern waiting room to boost the passenger experience”.
At the time, Cllr Steve Foulkes, who chairs the Liverpool City Region’s transport committee, said: “These works at Woodside highlight our commitment to the future of ferries as a much-beloved cultural asset for our city region. We’re really pleased to be playing our part alongside Wirral Council in the transformative regeneration in this are that will be taking place over the next few years.”
No reopening date has been given for the terminal which closed in October 2022. A combined authority spokesperson said: “It is planned that the return of Mersey Ferry services to Woodside will tie in with the completion of the public realm works at Woodside and the new Battle of the Atlantic Museum.”
However a report presented to a December Wirral Council regeneration committee suggests the reopening of the ferry terminal could actually be at least two years away. Timelines included in that report said wider infrastructure work by the council will continue into December 2027 and the ferry terminal would be closed during that period.
That timeline has since shifted back again following another delay to the public realm works being carried out by Wirral Council. In June 2025, councillors unanimously signed off plans to reshape the way the Birkenhead waterfront looks.
New cycle lanes and walking routes would be installed as well as a new plaza down by the ferry terminal. The aim is to create a better environment for everyone.
However the council has now extended a pre-contract agreement with John Sisk and Son for another six months. A spokesperson for Wirral Council said: “This comes after the initial cost plan highlighted significant budget pressures, prompting a comprehensive review of the engineering options to deliver the work within the available budget.”
The spokesperson added: “The extension to the agreement will be managed within the current financial provisions allocated for the PCSA (pre-construction services agreement) and the timeline, from January to June 2026, will see a further re-design period to incorporate scope changes and value engineering options.
“It is expected that June 2026 will see the final cost plan submission and preparation for main works contract award, remaining mindful that the end date for spend of all Local Regeneration Funds is March 2028.”
The Battle of the Atlantic museum is a revamp of the U-boat museum at Woodside. The timeline in December suggested the museum could reopen in autumn 2026 but the project is also delayed.