August 1860, the first line ran from Woodside (adjoining the terminal of the Mersey Ferry) to Birkenhead Park. This early system was horse-drawn and was the brainchild of flamboyant American, George Francis Train. A preserved tram was on display in the Woodside ferry terminal booking hall. The system was later electrified and operated from 1901 as Birkenhead Corporation Tramways; it closed in 1937. Two replica trams, imported from Hong Kong, have been brought into service as part of a heritage tramway between Woodside and Wirral Transport Museum; Birkenhead Corporation Tramways car No.20 is preserved on this line. As part of the Wirral Waters development, a street car service has been proposed, to be called Wirral Street Car. Buses Horse-drawn buses began operating in Birkenhead in 1848, to be replaced with motor vehicles after the First World War. Present-day services are run by operators including Arriva and Stagecoach, which are coordinated by Merseytravel. National Express provides long-distance coach services to other UK cities, with direct routes including London, Glasgow, Bangor and Newcastle. Birkenhead Bus Station The bus station was opened in 1996. It is adjacent to The Grange shopping centre and Birkenhead Market. It has a total of eleven stands and incorporates a travel centre. The main bus operators at the station include Arriva North West and Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire. Services using the bus station operate around the town of Birkenhead, throughout the Wirral and to the nearby city of Liverpool via the Queensway Tunnel. The station also has frequent services to as far away as Chester. Railways Railways reached Birkenhead in 1840, when the Chester and Birkenhead Railway began services. Birkenhead Grange Lane station opened at the same time, becoming the town's first terminus. Birkenhead Dock station opened in 1866, as the eastern terminus of the Hoylake Railway. With the opening of the Woodside and Birkenhead Dock Street Tramway in 1873, this station probably became the world's first tram to train interchange. In 1886, Birkenhead and Liverpool were linked by an underground railway system, which today is part of the Merseyrail network. The major underground station in Birkenhead is Hamilton Square, the nearest station to the ferry terminal. Hamilton Square station is linked to the Liverpool Loop of the Wirral Line, which includes James Street, Moorfields, Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central stations; all of these are underground. Other stations in the town include Birkenhead Central, which is