The Worth Valley branch out of Keighley climbs up the valley serving several small Pennine villages along the way. At Oakworth, the railway leaves the valley of the River Worth and enters the valley of Bridgehouse Beck, wherein lie Haworth and the line’s terminus at Oxenhope. The line has always terminated here, although press speculation of an extension to Hebden Bridge has at times been suggested. This has never been a serious proposition however.
  The line opened in 1867, funded predominantly by local wealthy mill owners. Within a very short time, the railway became part of the Midland Railway until in 1923 at the Grouping, it was absorbed into the new London Midland and Scottish Railway. Upon Nationalisation in 1948, the line became part of British Railways, and with its fortunes declining with the rise of competition from the roads, the branch closed in 1962.
 The line reopened in 1968 and has been owned, operated and managed entirely by qualified volunteer members of the Preservation Society ever since. The sale of the Worth Valley branch was the first privatisation of any part of British Railways and the six year legal battle to transfer ownership was testament to this. It is amazing to think now, but the new KWVR did not have to raise the thousands of pounds ‘up front’ to buy the Line from BR, we paid them in instalments over the following 25 years – with no interest, simply the cost of the Branch / 25! We paid BR the final instalment in 1992.
  In the years since reopening not only has the KWVR developed into one of the country’s premier ‘heritage’ railways it has continued a tradition of service to the communities along the Worth Valley and those who use the line to visit the stunningly beautiful surrounding countryside, operating rail services on more than 200 days per year.
  Today’s passengers could well be forgiven for thinking that the KWVR has always been the clean and well maintained place you see today. However things were very different back in 1962 when BR closed the line and everything was left to rot away or suffer at the hands of vandals. It took six years of hard work and tireless negotiations by volunteers of the Preservation Society before passenger trains finally ran again.

The film "The Railway Children' was filmed on the Railway back in 1969/70

For further information visit the website - www.kwvr.co.uk