An historic 130 year old UK railway station has reopened after a £10million upgrade. Works at Keighley Station in West Yorkshire were due to finish by the end of 2024, but this was pushed back because of problems with the stop’s old roof structure. The project began in 2023, and included a complete refurbishment of the station forecourt, frontage, waiting room, footbridges, drainage and masonry, as well as the repair and renewal of timber in the ramps and roofs across the premises, including stabilising the café’s gable end.
Disintegrating chimneys had to be painstakingly rebuilt brick by brick. Moreover, extensive structural strengthening has been carried out, including work to allow the western elevation link bridge to reopen, and masonry and drainage repairs to the western corner at the Skipton end of the station car park were completed. Built in 1885, the station was showing signs of its 140 years of operation, and parts had been closed off due to safety concerns.
“Everyone involved in transforming Keighley station has taken great pride and care at every stage, knowing that we’re providing passenger benefits now and preserving the heritage for generations to come,” Jonny Ham, Network Rail lead portfolio manager, said.
“The station has remained open, so visitors were able to see some of the changes – but it was when the scaffolding came down that the real difference became clear.
“Keighley caters for everyday visitors and heritage enthusiasts, and we’ve delivered a station which we’re sure will delight them all.”
Matthew Stroh, Keighley and Worth Valley Railway chairman, said: “The Keighley station project has been a true partnership effort.
“We have worked closely with Network Rail and their contractors, temporarily closing our line to allow them the time and space needed to work effectively – benefiting everyone involved.
“Thanks to their dedication, the station is being restored to its former glory, and we’ve been able to enhance this by extending the refurbishment to include the canopy over our platform and the ramp connecting our passengers from the forecourt.
“This work has been long-awaited, but the results speak for themselves – the thorough refurbishment has truly transformed the station, inside and out.”