Leicester West Bridge railway station

Former railway station in Leicester, England

Leicester West Bridge
West Bridge Station in 1832
General information
Location	Leicester England
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Leicester and Swannington Railway
Pre-grouping	Midland Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland & Scottish Railway
Key dates
18 July 1832	Station opens as Leicester
Before 26 April 1833	Renamed Leicester West Bridge
13 March 1893	Replaced by new station
24 September 1928	Station closes

Leicester West Bridge is a former railway station in Leicester, Leicestershire. It was the terminus of the Leicester and Swannington Railway 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 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 1966 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, as of 2017, 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

Butt, R.V.J., (1995) The Directory of Railway Stations, Yeovil: Patrick Stephens
Leleux R. (1976) A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 9 The East Midlands Newton Abbot: David & Charles.

52°38′06″N 1°08′46″W / 52.6349°N 1.1461°W / 52.6349; -1.1461

v t e Closed railway stations in Leicestershire and Rutland
Leicester and Swannington Railway	Coalville Town Bardon Hill Bagworth and Ellistown Incline House Thornton Lane Merry Lees Desford Ratby Glenfield (Leicestershire) Leicester West Bridge
Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway	Overseal Donisthorpe Measham Snarestone Hugglescote Heather and Ibstock Stoke Golding Higham on the Hill
Charnwood Forest Railway	Loughborough Derby Road Snells Nook Halt Shepshed Grace Dieu Halt Thringstone Halt Whitwick Coalville East
Melbourne line	Wilson Tonge and Breedon Worthington
Leicester–Burton upon Trent line	Moira Ashby de la Zouch Swannington Kirby Muxloe Braunstone (Leicester)
GNR & LNWR Joint Railway	Harby and Stathern Long Clawson and Hose Scalford Melton Mowbray North Great Dalby John O' Gaunt Leicester Belgrave Road Humberstone Thurnby and Scraptoft Ingarsby Lowesby Tilton East Norton Hallaton Medbourne
Midland Counties Railway	Cossington Gate Wigston South Countesthorpe Broughton Astley Leire Halt Ullesthorpe
Nottingham and Melton Railway	Edwalton Plumtree Widmerpool Upper Broughton Old Dalby Grimston
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway	Saxby Edmondthorpe and Wymondham
Syston and Peterborough Railway	ROF Queniborough Rearsby Brooksby Frisby Asfordby Whissendine Ashwell Manton Luffenham Ketton and Collyweston
Rugby and Stamford Railway	Lilbourne Welford and Kilworth Theddingworth Lubenham Rockingham Seaton Morcott Wakerley and Barrowden
Midland Main Line	Hathern Humberstone Road Leicester Campbell Street Welford Road Wigston Magna Great Glen Kibworth East Langton
South Leicestershire Railway	Elmesthorpe Croft railway station, Leicester Blaby Wigston Glen Parva
Great Central Main Line	Loughborough Central Quorn and Woodhouse Rothley Belgrave and Birstall Leicester Central Whetstone Ashby Magna Lutterworth
Stamford and Essendine Railway	Essendine Ryhall
Other	Uppingham Waltham-on-the-Wolds Castle Donington and Shardlow Weston on Trent

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