Passengers slam train doors

Both the Airedale line, which runs through Keighley, and the Wharfe Valley line, which runs through Ilkley, are scheduled to have their present 35-year-old trains replaced by December 2000.

Andrew Paterson, manager of Regional Railways North East, says: "The trains we have now are doing a good job, but the new trains will be a significant boost."

Regional Railways, which operates the trains, hopes to make an announcement in the next few weeks as to the number and type of trains the lines will be getting.

Keith Preston, chairman of the Aire Valley Rail Users Group, told us: "The trains are desperately needed because they are so old and really need replacing. They also never had a standard design - even though the trains we have at the moment look the same they are all slightly different. But these new trains will hopefully all be the same design.

"Also, the new trains will have electric sliding doors, as opposed to manual slam doors which are heavy and trap fingers."

Passengers this week welcomed the project.

Leslie Gulliver, 69, said: "I think the trains are in a disgusting condition. The steps are too high and dangerous for most passengers, especially those who have a child's pram to carry. I don't think the trains are passenger friendly."

Colin Mitchell, 47, said: "The trains are in a bad way and the facilities need looking at. They are far too old and it's about time we got new ones. I think we are really behind with up-to-date technology."

Mrs Beryl Pratt, 60, said trains are better abroad: "I think the service is very good but the doors are dangerous for the children," she said. "The trains are not what they are on the Continent."

Mrs Julie Hughes, 34, told us: "I think that the train doors are very dangerous and there is nowhere to put a pram. I had to lean it up against the door."

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