Wrexham Central railway station is the smaller of two railway stations serving the central area of Wrexham in Wales, the other being Wrexham General. The platform can accommodate a three car diesel train, but has room for platform extension. It is the southern terminus of the Borderlands Line, also known as the Wrexham-Bidston line, which links north-east Wales to Merseyside. The current station was constructed in 1998 within a retail park in Wrexham city centre known as Island Green. It replaced the first Central station, opened on 1 November 1887, which was a larger station located around 275 yards (250 metres) to the east. The older station closed on 23 November 1998 and the site was cleared as part of the retail development. History The original station The Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway (WMCQ) had opened between and Buckley (old station) on 1 May 1866. A southern extension to a station better situated for the centre of Wrexham was authorised on 18 August 1882; work did not begin until January 1887, and it was opened on 1 November the same year. Wrexham Central was a large station, with a marshalling yard and goods depot accompanying it. The station clock was provided and maintained free of charge by a local watchmaker named Pierce. It was a terminus for several years until the Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway (W&ER) was opened on 2 November 1895. The W&ER was built with financial assistance of the WMCQ and the Cambrian Railways, and operated by the latter, which it joined at . The line of the former W&ER was closed to passengers on 10 September 1962, and Wrexham Central almost met a similar fate (it was listed for closure in the Beeching Report of 1963). As Wrexham was undergoing population growth at the time and protests against the proposal were widespread, it was decided to retain it due to being conveniently close to the city centre. The station became unstaffed from 7 February 1972 and it was reduced to a single track station in August 1973, with a small concrete shelter and an adjacent stabling siding. Part of the old W&ER remained in use for freight as far as Abenbury Sidings until final closure in May 1981. Freight and goods The goods depot and marshalling yard were used until 7 December 1964, after which they were reduced to a large car park and railway club.