Yorkshire Station code KEI
Keighley
Keighley by train: change platforms for the Keighley & Worth Valley steam railway to Haworth and the Brontës, or visit Cliffe Castle Museum.
- Around 3 hours from London
- 1 LNER route
- 4 things to do
Keighley's curving platforms and Victorian canopies; the station of 1883–85 is Grade II listedPhoto: Tim Green, CC BY 2.0
About Keighley
Keighley is a market town in Airedale, set between the river and the moors close to the borders of North Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is the second-largest settlement in the Bradford district, after Bradford itself.
The station is shared with the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, a five-mile heritage line to Oxenhope that runs from its own platforms. The line calls at Haworth, home of the Brontë Parsonage Museum, where Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë wrote their famous novels.
In the town itself, Cliffe Castle Museum occupies a Victorian mansion in landscaped parkland, and the National Trust's East Riddlesden Hall is a seventeenth-century manor house on the edge of town.
Journey
KEI- Fastest from London King's Cross
- Around 3 hours
- LNER routes calling
- 1
| Route | Previous stop | Next stop |
|---|---|---|
| London – Skipton stop 10 of 11 | Shipley | Skipton |
May–December 2026 timetable · not every train calls at every station
LNER runs one direct train a day from King's Cross to Keighley, taking between about 2 hours 46 minutes (Sunday) and 2 hours 57 minutes (weekdays) in the May–December 2026 timetable. The one direct train to London leaves in the early morning, Monday to Saturday only.
Journey times are from LNER's May–December 2026 timetable and vary by train. Check yours with LNER timetables or the National Rail journey planner.
Key facts
- Opened
- March 1847 (first station); present station built 1883–85
- Architect
- Charles Trubshaw, Midland Railway architect
- Heritage status
- Grade II listed
- Platforms
- 4
- Managed by
- Northern (platforms 1 and 2); the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway runs platforms 3 and 4
- Passengers a year
- 1.4 million (April 2024 – March 2025) Source: orr.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Did you know?
- Keighley's period platforms have starred on screen, in the films Yanks (1979) and Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), in Peaky Blinders, and as Glasgow in the first episode of All Creatures Great and Small (2020).
- Historic England's listing picks out a late-19th-century engine water-filling pump on the heritage platforms, brought here from elsewhere in Yorkshire.
- A £10 million refurbishment completed in 2025 replaced the roof and much of the old ironwork and turned the old water tower into a visitor centre for the Worth Valley line.
Photos of Keighley
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Keighley's curving platforms and Victorian canopies; the station of 1883–85 is Grade II listed Photo: Tim Green, CC BY 2.0 -
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A Keighley & Worth Valley Railway steam train leaving Haworth Photo: Richard Szwejkowski, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
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Platforms 1 and 2, used by Northern and LNER trains Photo: habiloid, CC BY-SA 2.0
Arriving at Keighley
The platforms lie below the road, with the main entrance on Station Bridge; fairly steep ramps lead up from both National Rail platforms, and platform 1 also has level access from Dalton Lane. For the Worth Valley line, follow the ramps from the shared main entrance to platforms 3 and 4, where the heritage railway has its own ticket office. The town centre is close by, with the bus station about 7 minutes' walk.
The station is close to the town centre; the bus station is about 7 minutes' walk away. Platforms 1 and 2 serve National Rail trains and platforms 3 and 4 the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.
Getting around
Cliffe Castle is 12 to 25 minutes' walk from the station according to the museum, and buses towards Skipton pass its lower gates. For Haworth and the Brontës, take the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway from the same station.
Other train services and connections
- Northern (Leeds, Bradford Forster Square, Skipton, and longer-distance trains to Carlisle and Lancaster/Morecambe)
- Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (heritage line to Oxenhope via Haworth)
Station facilities
- Step-free accessStep-free to both National Rail platforms (category B1): fairly steep ramps from the main entrance, and level access to platform 1 from Dalton Lane
- Ticket officeIn the booking hall: Mon–Sat 06:10–19:15, Sun 08:45–18:00
- Ticket machinesOn the concourse and on platform 1
- ToiletsNone listed on the National Rail platforms
- Waiting shelterOn platform 2
- Wi-FiNo station Wi-Fi listed
- Food and drinkRefreshments available; the Worth Valley line also runs a refreshment stand on platform 4 on its operating days
- Left luggageNot available
- Cycle storage40 stands and 8 lockers with CCTV on platform 1 (not sheltered)
- TaxisTaxis available
- StaffingMon–Sat 06:10–21:00, Sun 09:00–17:30
Checked September 2026. Facilities and opening hours change — see the National Rail Enquiries station page (opens in a new tab) for the latest details.
History of the station
The Leeds and Bradford Extension Railway opened Keighley's first station in March 1847, a little further up the line. Traffic over the level crossing in the town became so heavy that the Midland Railway spent £60,000 in 1876 on the road bridge beside today's station, and between 1883 and 1885 built a new station to the south of it, designed by its architect Charles Trubshaw in dressed millstone grit. The Worth Valley branch to Oxenhope had opened in 1867, and from 1882 to 1955 Great Northern trains also ran from here over the hilly Queensbury lines to Bradford and Halifax.
British Railways closed the Worth Valley branch to passengers in 1962, but volunteers of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society reopened it six years later, and its steam trains still leave from platforms 3 and 4. The station was Grade II listed in 1986, and a £10 million refurbishment was completed in 2025.
A day in Brontë Country
Steam to Haworth for the Brontës, then back to Keighley for Cliffe Castle and a pint of the local ale.
-
Morning
Steam up the Worth Valley
Cross to platforms 3 and 4 for a heritage train up the valley to Haworth; check the running days before you travel.
-
Late morning
The Brontë Parsonage
Walk to the family home where Charlotte, Emily and Anne wrote their novels (closed on Tuesdays).
-
Afternoon
Cliffe Castle Museum
Back in Keighley, visit the free museum in a neo-Gothic mansion and its gardens (closed on Mondays).
-
Evening
A pint of Taylor's
Finish at The Boltmakers Arms, a few minutes from the station, pouring ales from Timothy Taylor's, which has brewed in Keighley since 1858.
Things to do near Keighley
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
A volunteer-run heritage railway climbing the Worth Valley to Oxenhope, with stations including Oakworth and Haworth. Trains run on a timetable of coloured running days through the year.
Brontë Parsonage Museum
The Brontë family home in Haworth, now a museum run by the Brontë Society and devoted to the sisters' lives and writing. Closed on Tuesdays.
Cliffe Castle Museum
A free museum of local heritage in a grand neo-Gothic mansion, surrounded by award-winning public gardens. Closed on Mondays.
East Riddlesden Hall
A seventeenth-century manor house with intimate gardens on the edge of Keighley, cared for by the National Trust.
Distances are approximate. Opening times and prices change — check the official website before you go.
Eat & drink near the station
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Pub
The Boltmakers Arms
A traditional Timothy Taylor's pub, which may be the smallest in Keighley, with a roaring fire and the brewery's cask ales.
Day trips from Keighley
-
Skipton
A medieval castle, canal walks and the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.
Northern trains take about 12 to 18 minutes, several an hour (checked on National Rail for October 2026).
-
Settle
A North Yorkshire town on the Settle–Carlisle line, which crosses the Yorkshire Dales.
Direct Northern trains take about 36 minutes, every two hours or so (checked on National Rail for October 2026).
Where to stay in Keighley
Keighley and nearby Haworth have a mix of hotels, inns and guesthouses. Compare what is available with the search link.
Tips for your visit
- With only one LNER train each way, check the times carefully; Northern's frequent trains to Leeds connect with many more LNER services there.
- LNER's northbound train only sets down at Keighley, and the southbound one only picks up.
- The Worth Valley line does not run every day, so check its timetable before you travel.
Questions about Keighley station
Can I get a direct LNER train to Keighley?
Yes, but only one a day: LNER runs a single direct train from King's Cross (set-down only at Keighley) and one to London in the early morning, Monday to Saturday. At other times change at Leeds for Northern's frequent Airedale line trains.
Where do Keighley & Worth Valley Railway trains leave from?
From platforms 3 and 4 of the same station, reached by ramps from the shared main entrance. The heritage railway has its own ticket office and runs on set days, so check its timetable.
Is Keighley station step-free?
National Rail lists step-free access to both National Rail platforms (category B1), by fairly steep ramps from the main entrance; platform 1 also has level access from Dalton Lane.
Are there toilets at Keighley station?
National Rail does not list toilets on the National Rail platforms, so plan accordingly.
How far is Keighley town centre from the station?
The station is close to the town centre, and the bus station is about 7 minutes' walk.
Sources we checked (September 2026)
We researched this page using the sources below. They are listed for transparency and are not links; always check official websites for the latest details.
- assets.ctfassets.net/mxack5k9p2sw/7jQOjS38muWdVQbPCRGxyV/809f4c4fe0a29fcd38233147ab0f48…
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keighley_railway_station
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keighley
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keighley_%26_Worth_Valley_Railway
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffe_Castle_Museum
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Riddlesden_Hall
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bront%C3%AB_Parsonage_Museum
- kwvr.co.uk/
- bradfordmuseums.org/venue/cliffe-castle-museum/
- bronte.org.uk/visit-us
- nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/east-riddlesden-hall
- routing.openstreetmap.de/
- nationalrail.co.uk/stations/kei/
- historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1199129
- dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage
- timothytaylor.co.uk/pubs/boltmaker-arms-keighley
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Taylor_Brewery
- nationalrail.co.uk/journey-planner/
Travelling to Keighley?
Check live times and fares with LNER, or compare prices on Trip.com. Book early for the best chance of a cheaper Advance fare.