The original plans for the
Great Central Main Line had a station situated at Swithland rather than
Rothley, although Rothley was the much larger village of the two. The station would have consisted of an island platform of the standard design that became typical of the line, here the less common "embankment" type reached from a road that passed beneath the line, similar to
East Leake station. Local pressure forced a change in the plans and the proposed site changed to Rothley; however, this did not mean that Swithland station was abandoned. The railway company intended to turn the area into a tourist spot and the construction of Swithland station was commenced anyway. The staircase which would have taken passengers from road level to the platforms was built but later sealed off when construction was abandoned. It is not know whether the platform or any other part of the proposed station was built. These later plans never came to fruition, and Rothley station - less than a mile to the south - was deemed adequate to serve the area. Sidings and a signal box were however sited here to serve the
Mountsorrel Railway, a mineral branch leading to granite quarries in the village of
Mountsorrel about two miles to the north east. In 1955 Swithland Sidings featured four sidings, a reception line, up and down loops and a horse dock. The last recorded train to run along the branch line was in 1953 and the track was lifted in the 1960s. The line was closed by
British Rail in 1969. Following its closure, the sidings were ripped up, leaving only one track in place. ==Preservation==