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 tunnel over a mile in length, and two rope-worked inclined planes; elsewhere it was locomotive-operated, and it carried passengers.
When it was built, the L&SR was the only railway in the area, but the Midland Railway (MR) was formed and had a main line through Leicester, opened in 1840[note 1] and its directors decided to acquire the L&SR. They made a generous offer and they took possession in 1847. At first the Midland Railway line and the L&SR were not connected, but the Midland Railway constructed a route from its main line to Burton, using part of the L&SR. The MR by-passed the inclines for its new route, but most of the other parts of the L&SR continued in use until 1966. The MR Burton line continues in use at the present day.
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