After two months of trains being absent from Platforms 3 & 4 at Keighley Station, services will return to the station on Saturday 2nd March.
There will be two ways to enter the Worth Valley side of the station, either by taking the footbridge towards the top of the ramp on Platform 2 or through the Station car park on Low Mill Lane for Step Free Access. You can find detailed instructions on accessing Keighley Station here; if you are unsure, please get in touch with the Office at 01535 645214.
On-Going Works
The refurbishment works are scheduled to last until December 2024, so there are plenty of signs of ongoing work at Keighley Station. Parts of the ramp to Platform 4 are currently sectioned off while contractors work on the flooring and canopy; there is scaffolding around the Water Tower, Signal Box and Platforms 3 & 4 towards Bridge 72 of the station. You can find out more about the whole site project on the website here.
Work continues at The Old Parcels Office, so keep an eye out for the opening date.
During the Closure
Platforms 3 & 4 have been a hive of activity over the past two months, with contractor Amco getting to work. The early part of the refurbishment has been carried out and included structural works to Bridge 72, The Old Parcels Office at the top of Platform 4 ramp. Another project at the station that was worked on during the closure is the Water Tower, where local contractor Woolers has been progressing, hoping to open the Visitor Centre in April.
BUFFET & SHOP
Volunteers at Keighley Station have been giving the platform kiosk an overhaul; the Gift Shop has had the layout altered and re-decorated, while the Buffet has had a refresh after supplying 1000s of brews to visitors over the years. Both are expected to be open on running days, so make sure you pop by and say hello!
WEST CROSSOVER
During the prolonged closure of Keighley Station, our Permanent Way Gang has taken the opportunity to undertake some heavy maintenance on Keighley West Crossover. This is the set of points towards Oxenhope from Keighley station.
With trains not running for many weekends, the gang could take advantage and remove rails to allow for many of the timbers to be changed, extending the life of the track. This has allowed our volunteers to undertake this important work on weekends when volunteers are available.
WATER TOWER
Work continues on the Water Tower at Keighley, with most of the building work soon to be completed. This includes a new raised floor to make the space accessible, work on the original well (which will soon have a glass floor fitted on top), a full repaint of whitewash, and repairs to the water intake supply.
Volunteers have also been working to research and create the interpretation elements, including a fully interactive water tower model and a section of a Midland Railway brake van, which will display MR maps of the line. Other elements, such as the story of the KWVR, archival footage and audio project, are still to be worked on.
