THERE are meals on wheels and bars in the cars on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

We are unique in that most of our trains convey a real-ale buffet car, serving real-ale from traditional hand pumps.

The buffet car also serves tea, coffee and a selection of soft drinks and snacks – but it’s the real-ale that is the real treat for our passengers, especially for those that bring a designated driver or make the most of our mainline connection to trains from Leeds, Bradford, Skipton and beyond.

We mainly source the ale from local breweries, but we often have specialist craft ales from further afield.

There can be up to three separate real-ales on tap and we usually try to offer at least two varieties on every journey.

But how does a traditional barrel of beer with sediment settled remain drinkable on a moving train?

Our solution is to stable the beer in the store at Oxenhope and draw it from the cask before each journey into a specially made drum that is transported onto the train, which ensures a perfect pint throughout the day.

Select the date of your travel in the ‘Times & Fares’ section, click on the appropriate timetable and look for the buffet car symbol to check that a buffet car is conveyed.

We publish every week in the News section of our website the guest ales that are on offer from the buffet car for that weekend.

If you are in the Worth Valley area, even when trains are not running (Wednesdays to Fridays) and you need a snack to start your day, food is available at the Oxenhope buffet.

Christine Laycock and her staff, situated on the platform in a railway carriage, will be happy to serve you with a hot bacon or sausage butty to get your day off to a fine start.

So join us to fill up your tenders and replenish your tanks with a hearty roll and a hot drink.

Or when you are ready for lunch, drop by to top up your reserves with some Yorkshire pie and peas, washed down with a bottle of pop or hot drink or, if trains are running, something from the on-board bar.

The Oxenhope Buffet is open every day when trains are running and Wednesdays to Sundays throughout the year, except Christmas Day.

Plans are also afoot to provide a larger and more comprehensive dining experience when Oxenhope Station is transformed with the building of a new purpose-built catering establishment.

Meanwhile, back on the trains we have a venue with a difference for people celebrating special occasions.

Named The Jubilee Bar to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, our coach is perfect for a party requiring their own private bar and dining or meeting space.

Built as a standard Mark1 Open Corridor coach, the carriage has been converted into a bar car, painted in mock-Pullman livery and fitted with an authentic bar salvaged from a Leeds pub.

It is available for hire on most operating dates. Contact admin@kwvr.co.uk/01535 645214 to discuss availability and prices.