The Leicester–Burton upon Trent line is a freight-only railway line in England linking the Midland Main Line near Leicester to the Derby to Birmingham line at Burton upon Trent.[note 1]
The line was built by the Midland Railway, which had acquired the Leicester and Swannington Railway in 1847, improving it and extending it. It opened throughout in 1849. The line connected an exceptional number of collieries and industrial premises, and several industrial branch lines were built radiating from it. Swadlincote was already an established community engaged in industry and there was a complex of branch lines there.
The passenger service on the line was discontinued in 1964, and much of the mining-based industry has closed down; quarrying is the dominant residual originating traffic. There are proposals to reopen the passenger service, and these are under review at present (2022).
In the late eighteenth century and the early nineteenth century, Leicester was the dominant industrial location in the region. Its commercial activity generated a huge demand for coal and other materials, but there were limitations due to poor transport links from collieries. In fact the Nottinghamshire coalfield supplied much of the demand, transporting the minerals by canal and river. [1]
The collieries of West Leicestershire were nearer but lacked an efficient transport medium, relying on animal power on inadequate roads.[2]
The coalowners and other business interests built the Leicester and Swannington Railway, opening it in 1832. This was a remarkable enterprise when few other railways existed in the country. The line included a tunnel just over a mile in length, and two rope-worked inclined planes because of the difficult terrain.[3]
Midland Railway acquisition
The Midland Railway was formed in 1844 by the amalgamation of three separate railway companies; they had formerly been in competitive opposition, but now under their chairman George Hudson, they were collectively able to consider expansion. Hudson was a very dynamic individual, and his methods were dubious, in fact eventually leading to disgrace. At this stage he saw that monopolistic possession and retention of a large area was important to the companies he controlled. This led him to wish to repel an incursion into those areas by existing or new competing railway companies.
The Leicester and Swannington company was under commercial pressure from other, competing railways and pits in the Erewash Valley and elsewhere, and it became known that it was susceptible to being purchased. Hudson arranged that the Midland Railway would purchase it, to forestall any incursion by a competitor. The acquisition was ratified by Parliament on 27 July 1846.[4] The Midland began working the L&SR on 1 January 1847.[5]
On to Burton
As well as controlling the north-south main line through Leicester (the "Midland Main Line") the Midland Railway also had the former Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway, which ran south-west to north east through Burton; the two routes formed an inverted V, with the apex at Derby. George Hudson determined to build a line from Leicester to Burton, using part of the Leicester and Swannington line as an element of the route. As well as providing a useful connection, the line would connect several important colliery locations along its route. At the time, the L&SR network was not connected to any other part of the railway network. Hudson put this to shareholders, along with a considerable number of other schemes, at a shareholders’ meeting in May 1846. The cost was to be £461,000. This was a formality, for the necessary Act was passed on 3 August 1846. (The following year an amending Act was passed.)[6]
The Midland’s plan therefore was to build to Burton from a junction with the L&SR at Long Lane (which later became known as Coalville), joining the LS&R there. In addition it would build a line from near Desford to the main line at Knighton, south of Leicester. The portion of the L&SR incorporated into this route was between Long Lane and Desford, and it included one of the rope-worked inclines on a 1 in 29 gradient. This was hardly practicable for a through main line route, and the Midland arranged to by-pass the incline. This was achieved by building a new double-track alignment alongside the original, taking a longer distance on easier gradients to achieve the climb.
This was done and the new line opened throughout, after certain construction difficulties, on 1 August 1849.[7] The opening of the line was a huge boost to the Leicestershire collieries, which were able to send their coal cheaply to all parts. Thus was a very severe blow to the canals.[8]
Connections
The dominant traffic of the Midland Railway in the area, and generally, was minerals. The new line passed through an area already active in mineral extraction and industry, and from the outset and throughout the following years, a number of connections to these sites were established.
The primary connections at the outset were at Burton, with the Leicester and Swannington Railway, and at Leicester with the main line.[9][10]
Junctions at Burton and Leicester
The first connection at Burton was north facing, leading towards the station; the junction was named Leicester Junction. It was followed by a southward curve, known as Branston Curve, connecting with the main line at Branston Junction. The lines formed a triangle, and the eastern apex was named Birmingham Curve Junction. The Branston Curve was opened by 1 January 1863.[11]
At Leicester the line curved to a northward junction at Knighton Junction. An east to south spur was opened to goods traffic only on 15 February 1850, joining the main line at Knighton South Junction. The former Knighton Junction was renamed Knighton North Junction, and the western apex was named Saffron Lane Junction. The west-to-north curve at Knighton was closed in 1967. [11]
Connections with the Leicester and Swannington network.
The Midland Railway had taken over the Leicester and Swannington Railway network by Act of 27 July 1846.[4][12] The Midland began working the L&SR on 1 January 1847,[5] and constructed the through Leicester to Burton line, using part of the L&SR. The former L&SR continued in use, and there was a new junction at Desford, and another at Swannington Junction, near present-day Coalville, to serve the respective extremities of the old L&SR.
The original L&SR facilities at Leicester continued in use as the West Bridge branch. The West Bridge terminus was considered disgraceful for many years, and on 13 March 1893 it was replaced by a passenger station on a slightly different site.[13] Passenger services were withdrawn on 24 September 1928 and freight on 2 May 1966.[14]
The short extremity at Swannington including the incline closed on 14 November 1947.[15]