Part of Keighley & Worth Valley Railway to close for project

The one-mile Haworth to Oxenhope section of the route will be shut down from Monday, September 2, until Friday, September 20, while the railway completes its biggest-ever volunteer-led project.

This is the replacement of the 135-year-old Bridge 27. The bridge carries the KWVR over Bridgehouse Beck, one of the River Worth’s main tributaries.

Volunteers at Bridge 27 relaying track. Picture: KWVR
The remaining Keighley to Haworth section of the Victorian branch line will stay open to weekend passenger services while the completion work, which has been planned to immediately follow the key school summer holiday period’s daily train services, will kick into action on the evening of Sunday, September 1.

Work on Bridge 27 was enabled when the KWVR was awarded £1 million from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund, which is part of the ‘Levelling Up’ programme.

The current bridge was built in 1889 as part of a reconstruction of a previous bridge erected in 1867 for the opening of the line.

The existing bridge is two separate structures, but they both utilise the same foundations. One carries the line into Haworth Yard. This span received significant work in the late 1970s and is not part of the scheme.

A Grafton Steam Crane assisting volunteer. (Image: KWVR)

The other structure that carries the KWVR’s main line needed renewal due to the poor condition of the supporting abutments, mid-stream pier, and its iron girders.

James Barlow, KWVR’s civil engineer, said: “We had the replacement of Bridge 27 on our radar for more than 10 years and have planned its renewal since around 2015.

“Our regular inspections picked up the deterioration that has to be expected in a structure of its age. Its replacement is the culmination of nearly 10 years of effort by our volunteer engineering team, supported by specialist designers and contractors.

“We have been working on the replacement design since 2019 with our designers Cass Hayward and our main contractor Beaver Bridges since July 2023.

Bridge 27 worksite at Haworth (Image: KWVR)

“In May 2024 we removed the track and contractors Keller installed 12 reinforced concrete piles behind the existing structure. After which we put the track back thus enabling the summer services to run.

“Starting on the evening of September 1, we will dismantle the existing bridge, before re-exposing the piles installed in May 2024 and construct new foundations. The new 50-ton steel bridge deck has been fabricated by Beaver Bridges at their Wigan facility.

“The deck is now in Scunthorpe being painted in preparation for being lifted into position by a 450-ton Ainscough Crane on Saturday, September 14.

“Our volunteers will then reinstate the track around the structure.

Volunteers at Bridge 27 (Image: KWVR)

“Replacing the existing structure with one that requires less maintenance in the future will enable our volunteers to focus on the maintenance and improvement of other areas of the railway.

“In addition, by installing a longer spanned structure than the existing bridge and removing the central pier, it will help lower flood risk in the area.

“This is by far the largest civil engineering project ever undertaken by the KWVR, with volunteers leading the project and undertaking a significant amount of the site works supported by our designers, contractors and equipment suppliers.

“We are immensely grateful to neighbours Wyedean Weaving, who have supported us throughout with uninterrupted access to the site through their car park and allowing us to use it as our site compound for six weeks.

“There will still be some loss of car parking in the Haworth Station and Bridgehouse Mills area and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

“Also, we are incredibly grateful to our volunteers and the local community for the support shown during this job, for which we are all eternally grateful.”

On Saturday, September 21, the railway will reopen with steam services operating along the full length of the line between Keighley and Oxenhope.