Wigston Magna railway station
Wigston Magna railway station was a railway station serving Wigston Magna in Leicestershire.
| Wigston Magna | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | Wigston Magna |
| Area | Borough of Oadby and Wigston |
| Coordinates | 52.5802°N 1.1233°W |
| Grid reference | SP595984 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | Midland Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Midland Railway[1] |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Platforms | 2 |
| History | |
| 8 May 1857 | Station opened as Wigston |
| 1924 | Renamed Wigston Magna[2] |
| 1 January 1968 | Station closed |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
| Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z | |
In 1857 the Midland Railway opened its new main line to Hitchin, diverging from the Midland Counties Railway main line at a junction slightly north of its Wigston station. A new Wigston railway station was opened on the new main line, and the Midland Counties station was renamed Wigston South to reduce confusion.[2]
In 1860 the Midland acquired running powers to Nuneaton on the South Leicestershire Railway, which was later extended to Whitacre Junction. In 1872 a south chord was added to Wigston Junction, creating a direct link between Wigston Magna and Glen Parva stations.
In its heyday Wigston was an important interchange with large sidings and wagon repair shop. A motive power depot (MPD) was added in 1873.
In the 1923 grouping the Midland became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and later the second Wigston station was renamed Wigston Magna for further clarity. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway closed the MPD in 1934 but reopened it in the Second World War while Leicester MPD was being rebuilt.
British Railways closed the MPD again in 1955.[3] By 1968 BR closed all Midland Main Line stations between Leicester and Market Harborough, including Wigston Magna.
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Glen Line open, station closed |
Midland Railway Midland Main Line |
Welford Road Line open, station closed | ||
| LNWR South Leicestershire Railway |
Wigston Glen Parva Line open, station closed |
References
- Connolly, W. Philip (1976). British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. map sixteen. ISBN 0-7110-0320-3.
- Dewick, Tony (2002). Complete Atlas of Railway Station Names. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. map sixteen. ISBN 0-7110-2798-6.
- Radford, B (1988) [1983]. Midland Line Memories: a Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Between London and Derby. London: Bloomsbury Books. p. not cited. ISBN 1-870630-21-1.