Heritage railway bosses have paid tribute to the film director who brought worldwide fame to their five-mile line.

Lionel Jeffries, who has died aged 83, adapted E Nesbit’s novel The Railway Children and directed his film version, choosing the Keighley and Worth Valley line to set the movie.

Filmed in 1970 with Jenny Agutter, Sally Thomsett and Bernard Cribbins, it has become one of the most popular children’s movies of all time.

It also helped encourage other rail enthusiasts to revive defunct railways across the country.

K&WVR chairman, Paul Brown, said: “It was his work with our railway 40 years ago that made our success possible.”

Passenger numbers trebled along the line between Keighley and Oxenhope and an extra track needed installing. The heritage railway had only been re-opened for two years.

“Our success, thanks to the film, made people realise that we were not just a group of eccentric amateurs doomed to inevitable failure, but that we had shown, at a time when local railways were being closed everywhere, that communities could take them over and run them successfully,” added Mr Brown.

A special celebration on May Bank Holiday weekend will mark the 40th anniversary of the movie-making and to remember what Lionel Jeffries did for the future of the railway.

A digitally remastered version of the film is also to be released to coincide with the anniversary and will include new interviews with the stars, some filmed recently at Oakworth Station.