Leicester West Bridge is a former railway station in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

. It was the terminus of the

Leicester and Swannington Railway The Leicester and Swannington Railway (L&SR) was one of England's first railways, built to bring coal from West Leicestershire collieries to Leicester, where there was great industrial demand for coal. The line opened in 1832, and included a tun ...

until 1928. Being one of the earliest public railways, and intended for the transport of coal, the idea of carrying passengers had not occurred to the line's promoters. Thus facilities for buying tickets were provided at local inns or from the keepers of various road crossings. Such was the case at West Bridge until 1893 when, belatedly, the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...

built a new passenger station around 150 yards away, nearer to the houses on the (then new) Tudor Road. Passenger trains on the stub to Leicester West Bridge ended in September 1928, although coal and oil traffic continued until 29 April 1966Leleux R. (1976) ''A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 9 The East Midlands'' Newton Abbot: David & Charles. after which the track was removed and the station buildings demolished. The original 1832 station is thought to have been the third oldest station in the world; its site is now Richard III Road. Slightly to the west, the platform of the 1893 station is, , extant. Further north the site of the engine shed and the sidings at Soar Lane New Wharf are now a public park, the Rally.

References

Transport in Leicester Disused railway stations in Leicestershire Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1832 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1928 Former Midland Railway stations {{EastMidlands-railstation-stub