Haworth station becomes a river
The main running line was covered up to platform level on Boxing Day, with the yard and locomotive inspection pits also under water. Bridgehouse Beck, which runs through the Haworth station site and village at three locations, rose up over Bridge 27, flooding the KWVR’s car park and the ground floor of the Stanier House accommodation block. The Boxing Day storm was not the first time the railway has been affected by flooding this year. On December 12, the KWVR’s last Santa special of the day had to pick its way carefully through shallow water as Bridgehouse Beck overflowed and flooded Haworth yard. Although the inspection pits and wheeldrop were submerged, quick action by volunteers prevented the water from reaching the workshop machinery or Stanier House. KWVR Operating Manager Richard Jones stated that the Boxing Day flood was “the worst in the railway’s preservation history.” According to Mr Jones it was the “sheer volume rather than the power of the water” that posed a problem; once it stopped raining on December 27, the water level quickly dropped. Although services were suspended on December 26, they resumed the following day after 12.30pm, once
THE KEIGHLEY & Worth Valley Railway has recovered from the worst flooding in its 47-year history. The track through Haworth station was turned into a flowing river.
volunteers inspected the track for further damage and cleared the permanent way of silt and small branches. The fire service was called to assist in pumping away the water and a temporary tearoom was set up in the booking office to serve both the emergency services and gang of volunteers. Mr Jones praised not only the cooperation between the railway’s volunteers and the local fire service, but also the local community during the clean-up operation. Mr Jones did not think that the flood would greatly affect the KWVR’s revenue for the festive period, as he believed that the inclement weather
would have kept passengers away anyway, and those who wished to travel on Boxing Day could have caught any of the railway’s other festive services until January 3. Mr Jones said that although the KWVR is still assessing the damage, the floods will not affect its forthcoming February gala.