Daily commuter trains could be introduced on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway to help solve the town's road traffic chaos.

The K&WVR preservation society has had discussions with town and parish councillors and local MP Ann Cryer over the idea, the Keighley News can reveal.

The five-mile line was reopened by volunteers in 1968, seven years after it had been shut by British Rail and has since provided regular weekend and holiday-time passenger services.

Proposals were mooted several years ago for an early morning and evening commuter service, but they never reached fruition.

Now the idea has been resurrected as a possible means of helping to tackle Keighley's growing gridlock problems.

But the public is warned that a number of issues would have to be addressed before the plan could become reality.

K&WVR spokesman Matt Stroh said: "The idea is part of all the solutions to all Keighley's traffic problems.

"People in houses new and old at Haworth, Oxenhope and further down the valley come to Keighley to get trains to Leeds and Bradford.

"So it is inevitable that this idea is put up again."

Although the society was supportive of the vision, he urged caution in reverting to a full commuter service at present.

"We are trying to help the Keighley situation by running trains early on a Saturday and Sunday morning. We already do that side of things but this would be a big jump," he said.

"We are not in a position as a volunteer outfit to run a commuter service because we only run heritage trains -- they are not designed to run seven days a week.

"And we are a very democratic membership society so it has got to be an exceptional balance between us running the trains and carrying on for people's enjoyment."

He said funding would be required to compensate the railway for any loss of revenue, as well as for new trains to run the services and staff salaries.

Mrs Cryer, who is president of the preservation society, welcomes the idea but also suggests that the plans may be a long way down the line.

She said: "I am very much in favour of this. It was always my late husband's ambition to see the railway be a well used branch line as well as a tourist line.

"But you have to strike a balance between volunteers and paid personnel to keep everyone on board and everyone happy.

"We don't want to be turning away our regular customers and turning film and television companies away because they are good sources of revenue."

The issue is expected to be discussed at the society's annual meeting, which takes place in Oxenhope Community Centre, at 7.30pm, tomorrow.