sey ▁Railway ▁T unnel ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁James ▁Street ▁Station ▁and ▁Hamilton ▁Square ▁under ground ▁station ▁in ▁Bir ken head ▁are ▁the ▁oldest ▁deep - level ▁under ground ▁stations ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁only ▁other ▁under ground ▁railway ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁London ▁Under ground , ▁had ▁stations ▁just ▁below ▁the ▁street ▁surface , ▁built ▁using ▁the ▁cut - and - cover ▁method . ▁The ▁stations ▁are ▁so ▁deep ▁they ▁required ▁lif ts ▁to ▁access , ▁and ▁were ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁lift - access ed ▁stations . ▁The ▁lif ts ▁were ▁initially ▁hyd ra ul ically ▁operated . ▁There ▁were ▁originally ▁two ▁platforms , ▁either ▁side ▁of ▁a ▁tw in - track ▁tunnel . ▁ ▁The ▁Mer sey ▁railway ▁tunnel ▁was ▁extended ▁under ▁dry ▁land ▁to ▁Liverpool ▁Central ▁station ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 2 , ▁changing ▁James ▁Street ' s ▁status ▁to ▁a ▁through ▁station . ▁By ▁this ▁time , ▁there ▁were ▁trains ▁from ▁Liverpool ▁branch ing ▁from ▁Hamilton ▁Square ▁station ▁termin ating ▁at ▁Bir ken head ▁Park ▁and ▁Rock ▁Fer ry ▁stations ▁in ▁Bir ken head . ▁The ▁line ▁was ▁elect r ified ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁Through ▁trains ▁to ▁West ▁Kir by ▁and ▁New ▁Bright on ▁comm enced ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁when ▁the ▁former ▁Wir ral ▁Railway ▁routes ▁were ▁elect r ified . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁during ▁the ▁Liverpool ▁Bl itz , ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe ▁bom bed