Keighley and Worth Valley Railway: Work to rebuild bridge on historic Yorkshire railway line set to start next year

Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society (KWVRPS) said the 134-year-old bridge which crosses Bridgehouse Beck in Haworth will be replaced with a larger steel structure.

It comes after the volunteer group, which runs steam train trips for tourists on a five-mile route between Keighley and Oxenhope, received £1m from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund.

The three-week project to rebuild the existing bridge is due to take place in September 2024.

Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young said the Community Ownership Fund was set up to support institutions that are “really important to people”.

He added: “Whether that’s railway stations like this, community centres, churches or local pubs – we want to hear from local community organisations about what matters to them.”

The original bridge opened in 1867 before it was reconstructed in 1889.

KWVRPS said it has been looking to replace the structure for around a decade as the abutments and piers are in poor condition.

The heritage railway line has featured in dozens of films and TV shows, including the 1970 adaptation of Edith Nesbit's book The Railway Children and last year’s sequel The Railway Children Return.

KWVRPS took charge of the line in 1968, six years after it was closed by British Railways.

It comes after Keighley was recently awarded £20m from the Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns scheme and £33m from the Towns Fund in 2021.

The Government has been criticised for asking local authorities to compete against each other for money from schemes like the Levelling Up Fund, which provided £3.8bn to support 216 projects.

Council leaders claim they are vying for small pots of money to pay for projects which they routinely funded before their budgets were slashed during austerity.

But Mr Young said the Government is looking to “step away from competitive funds where we can” and allocate the money instead.