The Keighley & Worth Valley
Railway commenced both freight and passenger services in
1867. Although it was a vital transport link for the local
community, this was always secondary to its freight services, and
so for much of its working life the branch line was known to very
few people outside the vicinity.
The railway was an early victim of the Beeching Axe, with its final
service running in 1962. A preservation group had already formed as
a reaction to the closure, which quickly purchased the line from
its then-owners, British Rail. After a few years of preparation,
the Keighley & Worth Valley
Railway re-opened in 1968 run entirely by volunteers. The
branch line was preserved in its entirety, and to date it is the
UK's only heritage railway to run at its complete original
length.
Since opening as a heritage railway, the line has remained popular
with the local community, but has also become a major tourist
attraction. It is easy to see why the railway is a popular feature
on several of our Yorkshire holidays as the line
passes through the beautiful, rugged countryside and rolling
moorland made famous by the Brontë sisters.
