Railway Children line to get new visitor centre

The water tower is still used to provide water for the railway’s steam locomotives

Work has begun to create a visitor centre at a West Yorkshire heritage rail line made famous by the film The Railway Children.

Keighley Towns Fund and the Railway Heritage Trust have awarded £140,000 of funding for the project at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (KWVR).

Bradford Council said Keighley station's water tower would be converted into a visitor centre. The 30-gallon tank on top is still used to provide water to steam locomotives.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said: “This historic water tower is believed to be the last functioning one of its kind left nationally. It is a really important structure."

The interior of the water tower will undergo refurbishment including the addition of a raised floor for step-free access from the station platform.

The centre, which will offer space for exhibitions and presentations, will also feature a glass floor over the well.

The conversion follows the £1m rebuild of a bridge which crosses the Bridgehouse Beck at Haworth.

The railway line has featured in dozens of films and television shows, including the 1970 adaptation of Edith Nesbit's book The Railway Children.

Keighley Towns Fund chairman Ian Hayfield said: "The KWVR is one of the leading educational, heritage and tourist attractions across the district.

"This project is part of a whole list of projects considered and planned by the KWVR which will see it modernise and transform its offer, so it can continue to delight passengers and visitors for many years to come.”

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