a call has been made for the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway to increase its services.

Mike Ellis, who lives in Oxenhope and serves on the parish council, wants more commuters from the village to be able to use the railway to get to work. He says bus links are inadequate and more trains would cut pollution on the roads.

Cllr Ellis says the current number of trains means many commuters from oxenhope cannot use the railway.

"You have to get a bus to Keighley and either get on another or walk to the railway station," he says. "Common sense tells you a commercial commuter service on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway would be a good idea. It would mean many people would not drive to Keighley station. This would help cut down traffic and pollution."

Cllr Ellis would like to see the railway in talks with organisations such as Metro, which oversees public transport in the area, to discuss a feasibility study.

Oxenhope parish council is currently undertaking a local traffic survey and looking at public transport services.

Keighley and Worth Valley Railway chairman Graham Mitchell says if Oxenhope parish council writes to the railway it will consider its suggestions.

"We do provide a daily service in June, July and August which we can just about manage using volunteers," he says. "But if the railway was to provide a daily service throughout the year then we would have to look at how we would operate and pay staff and who would fund it."

Mr Mitchell says to operate the railway between Oxenhope and Keighley requires five staff - a driver, guard, crossing keepers at Oakworth and Damems, and a responsible officer. "If we were to run at night then we would have to double that," he adds.

Residents living in the BD21 and 22 areas of Keighley are being offered a local person's railcard free of charge to use on the railway.

The card entitles the holder, spouse and children to cheap-rate travel on all branch services (second class only) excluding the White Rose Pullman restaurant car services, Thomas the Tank services and other special heritage events where a fixed fare is applicable.

The railcard can be used with the Worth Valley Railway membership card and you can travel at rates less than that of bus services (an average 50 per cent cheaper).

To obtain a local person's railcard take a recent gas/electricity bill, driving licence or other proof of address to stations when trains are running or Haworth station during weekdays.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.