Heritage railway completes £1.25m bridge work

Keighley and Worth Valley Railway has more than 500 volunteers

A heritage railway line has reopened following a £1.25m project to replace a 135-year-old bridge.

Keighley and Worth Valley Railway (KWVR) said the renewal of Bridge 27 in Haworth was its “biggest ever civil-engineering project” and involved 2,500 hours of volunteer time over three weeks.

The heritage line runs steam and diesel trains through the West Yorkshire countryside and became famous when it appeared in the 1970 film version of The Railway Children.

KWVR chief civil engineer James Barlow said the placement of the new bridge was the culmination of more than a decade’s work.

“To deliver this scale of work with volunteers, supported by industry specialists, is a credit to the KWVR and its voluntary workforce, as well as the designers, contractors and other suppliers who worked alongside us," he said.

The railway was closed from Haworth to Oxenhope for 19 days to allow the work to be completed.

Bahamas Locomotive Society provided a 50-tonne steam crane for the demolition work

KWVR has a team of more than 500 volunteers and runs services every weekend, with extra services through the summer and holiday seasons.

The project was granted £1m from the government’s Community Ownership Fund.

The old bridge was built in 1889 as part of a reconstruction of an earlier bridge erected in 1867 for the opening of the line.

It spans Bridgehouse Beck, a tributary of the River Worth.

The complex project was supported by the Environment Agency and businesses in the area.

Work on the design for the bridge began five years ago with preliminary works starting in July 2023.

Following the final day of KWVR summer services on 1 September, volunteer staff removed the track and the old bridge to allow contractors to start work the next day.

Volunteers Keith and Margret Bonner used the Grafton Crane to lift railway track

Ingrow-based Bahamas Locomotive Society provided a 50-tonne steam crane for the demolition work and KWVR’s Grafton steam crane was used to remove the track.

A giant 450-tonne crane, from Bradford firm Ainscough Crane Hire, lifted the new bridge deck, weighing about 40 tonnes, into place on 14 September.

Mr Barlow thanked neighbouring businesses and Haworth residents for their support.

“The day had a fantastic community feel to it with hundreds of local residents watching from the adjoining Bridgehouse Lane overbridge and we’d like to thank all our neighbours and the Worth Valley communities for their continuing support during this project, in spite of all the disruption," he said.

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