The next train due to arrive at platform one will be... a 60-year-old steam engine.

Train passengers at Bradford Interchange were stunned when the beautiful reminder of Britain's steam heritage made an unscheduled stop at the station this morning.

The loco - resplendent in its shining livery of British Racing Green - was forced to divert to the Interchange while on route from Bury to York.

Shoppers and families stared open-mouthed as the engine steamed into platform one. Bad weather near Wakefield had forced the crew to divert.

Co-incidentally, Bradford city centre was also playing host to those who served in two world wars as part of the Veterans' Day celebrations and the appearance of the locomotive would have given an extra dimension to the celebrations.

The Southern Railway Battle of Britain Class engine, named Tangmere, was on its way to York where it was to pick up a private charter train to pull to London King's Cross.

The loco pulled into the Interchange at about 11am. Nigel Adams, 53, a member of the support crew looking after the train said: "We were supposed to be going to Huddersfield and Wakefield on our way to York but there is some flooding around Wakefield which has meant we had to make a stop here.

"When we left this morning we were told we were going a different way, but I can't be too sure of which areas are actually flooded."

The support crew were on board to help with the coaling and watering of the engine.

The green locomotive, number 34067, was built in 1947 in Eastleigh, near Southampton and although it is still normally kept in the south of England it is currently owned by Riley and Son Engineering, in Bury.

Mr Adams said: "The Battle of Britain Class locomotives are named after people and places which were significant in the Second World War.

"Tangmere was a front line fighter base on the south coast of England."