This branch line, from Keighley to Oxenhope, opened in 1867, twenty years after the arrival of the main line at Keighley.  The branch, operated by the Midland Railway, was mainly built to carry coal to the many woollen mills along the Worth Valley.  However, passenger trains were able to take local people to Keighley for shopping and other activities, where there were also train connections to other areas of the north.

British Railways closed the line in 1962, and almost immediately a local group was formed to purchase the line.  The branch was acquired by the Preservation Society in 1968.  The 4½ mile line is now one of the best-known heritage lines in the country, and is, in 2010, the only fully complete branch line in preservation.  Thus, unlike most other heritage lines, this railway is not having to consider extending the rails further along old track bed.  This means that money can be invested in the existing infrastructure and rolling stock.

Also, unlike many other preserved railways, the Keighley & Worth Valley operates year round, with trains running every weekend, even in the winter months when most other lines are shut down, and daily in all school holidays.

The line has been used many times by film crews, most notably in both the television and film versions of "The Railway Children".

These photographs were taken on Saturday 6th March 2010.