Although called a branch, the line was accessible from both ends, from Bidston East junction and from Rock Ferry railway station.

A section of the line runs through Haymarket Tunnel and a low-level cutting through the centre of Birkenhead; visible from the road flyovers.

The former Canning Street North signal box has now been demolished following fire damage, and the rails across the level crossing there have been removed due to the provision of cycle lanes on the roadway.

[4] The 1.125 mi (1.811 km) section, from Grange Lane to Bridge End near Cathcart Street, was built into a cutting known as the Sough (pronounced "Suff"),[5] opening the same day as Birkenhead Park, on 5 April 1847.

1913-1914 was as follows: The Class 9F locomotive 92203, later named as Black Prince, worked the final steam-hauled iron ore train from Bidston Dock in November 1967.

[8][9][10] During the BR era, the line was used by various classes of diesel locomotive, primarily for hauling offloaded iron ore from Bidston Dock, to the John Summers Steelworks in Shotton.

The Rea Bulk Handling Company had a small fleet of nine Drewry 0-4-0DM and 0-6-0DM diesel shunters, which operated on the dock lines.

The names of these locomotives included; Theseus, Wabana, Kathleen Nicholls, Pegasus, WH Salthouse,[nb 2] Dorothy Lightfoot, Narvik, Teucer and Pepel.

[24][25] A further 0-4-0DE locomotive built by the Yorkshire Engine Company, named Labrador,[26] and of similar design to a Class 02, also worked around the Bidston Dock area.

[28] The plan involved connecting Wirral Waters to the Merseyrail network at Birkenhead North and Hamilton Square stations, utilising the stretch of dock branch trackbed along Beaufort Road and Corporation Road, with inner and outer loops around Vittoria Dock and East Float, respectively.