Place Leicester | Pre-grouping Midland Railway | |
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Post-grouping London, Midland & Scottish Railway 18 July 1832 Station opens as Leicester Before 26 April 1833 Renamed Leicester West Bridge 13 March 1893 Replaced by new station Original company Leicester and Swannington Railway Similar Swannington railway station, Bardon Hill railway station, Coalville Town railway st, Old Dalby railway station, Welford and Kilworth r | ||
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.
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 station is thought to have been the third oldest station in the world. Its site is now a public park, the Rally.