[b][1][3] The line initially had no stations, it ran from a new Fazakerley junction between Kirkby and Fazakerley on the former Liverpool and Bury Railway terminating in the North Mersey goods yard where an end-on connection was made to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board (MDHB) rail network which gave the L&YR access to the docks further south.

[7][8] The branch was connected via a crossover to the Liverpool Overhead Railway (LOR) a little to the east of Seaforth Sands creating Rimrose Road junction.

Excursion trains were run to a temporary, race-meeting only station, first noted in 1878, on the line called Aintree Cinder Lane.

[15][16] Cinder Lane was replaced by Aintree Racecourse station and was officially renamed in 1910, it also only operated on race days, it saw its last service on 25 March 1961.

[15] Annual Grand National Express services ran from London Euston and other locations, such as Bridlington, Hull and Goole, direct to racecourse station via the North Mersey Branch.

[citation needed] Other special services were run along the branch to Aintree Sefton Arms (on these occasions the L&YR stations at Aintree were differentiated by adding Sefton Arms or Racecourse) in addition to the regular service from Liverpool Exchange[20] The Liverpool Overhead Railway also ran trains from its line onto the branch using the connection at Seaforth Sands, in 1955 they ran nine specials from Dingle.

[citation needed] In January 2024, the entirety of the overgrown trackside that once occupied the site of Aintree West sidings, was cleared completely back down to the soil after almost a decade of overgrowth.

[citation needed] The Crosby Herald newspaper reported that the line could be reopened in conjunction with a proposed new stadium for Liverpool F.C., to provide additional transport links via the town of Litherland, likely to cost millions.