PART of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is to close so a major £1.25 million civil engineering project can be completed.

The one-mile Haworth to Oxenhope section of the route will shut tomorrow (September 2) and will remain closed until September 20, whilst the railway completes its biggest-ever volunteer-led project.

The 135-year-old Bridge 27 – which carries the line over Bridgehouse Beck, one of the River Worth’s main tributaries – is being replaced.

The remaining Keighley to Haworth section of the Victorian branch line is staying open to weekend passenger services whilst the completion work, which has been planned to immediately follow the key school summer holiday period when train services operate daily, is carried out.

Work on Bridge 27 was enabled when the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway 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 comprises two separate structures, but 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.

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

James Barlow, the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway's civil engineer, says: “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.

“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.

"We are incredibly grateful to our volunteers and the local community for the support shown during this job.”

On September 21, the railway will reopen with steam services operating along the full length of the line.