In 1850 its layout - created by Joseph Paxton - had a profound influence on visiting American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

The station was built at the western portal of the Mersey Railway tunnel that ran into central Birkenhead and Liverpool's city centre.

There was a small Mersey Railway electric car shed at the eastern end of the station, on the northern side of the line, which held two 6-car trains.

[2] This was built on level ground, with the tracks towards the tunnel to Liverpool dropping steeply alongside.

[citation needed] On 6 December 1922 an accident occurred at the station, at around 4pm, between two trains of the Wirral Railway.

It was normal for the new LMS trains to operate the Liverpool to West Kirby route, and the older Mersey Railway trains to operate the Liverpool to New Brighton route, except for Sundays and bank holidays.

The first station building was destroyed when two aerial bombs were dropped by German aircraft on the night of 12–13 March 1941, during the Second World War.

At one stage, through trains used the outer tracks of the station, while a bay platform was fashioned between these to allow a short-lived Liverpool-to-Birkenhead Park extra peak-hour shuttle service.

There is a payphone, booking office and live departure and arrival screens, for passenger information.