A restaurant based in a historic station building hopes to tempt couples this Valentine’s Day with a novel romantic rail journey.

Like many restaurants in the area, the 1875 Anglo Indian Restaurant is expecting a boost in trade next month as local couples go out to dinner.

But the restaurant, situated on the first floor of Menston Station, has taken the usual step of teaming up with train operator Northern Rail for a romantic – if short – trip by train.

Diners will be invited to board a “love train” at Ilkley Station for the journey by rail to Menston – a trip lasting just over ten minutes.

As well as the meal itself, the experience includes return travel from Ilkley to Menston aboard the ‘Love Train’ with a special greeting at Ilkley Station by staff in full Indian regalia, offering Indian canapés “We are really looking forward to offering our Valentine’s diners a true, bona fide Indian experience, in an intimate setting,” said restaurant owner, Majinder Singh Sarai. “It is also fantastic to be working in close collaboration with Northern Rail, to encourage as many diners to use the train as possible.”

The restaurant was named after both the year when the station building itself was built and also when the relationship with Britain and India was at its perceived best.

Client and Stakeholder Manager at Northern Rail, Drew Haley, said: “We are excited to be working with the 1875 Restaurant. Brief Encounter or not, catching the train from Ilkley, in the company of fully attired Indian waiters to enjoy the most exotic cuisines, surely says you have style, originality and taste and sets the wheels in motion for an unforgettable evening for your loved one.”

The once-derelict station building was redeveloped in 2000 as part of general improvements to the Wharfedale line.

It houses a ticket office and has also been home to a cyber cafe and internet services business.

Bookings are being taken to board the Love Train from Ilkley to Menston on February 14 to 16 on the 7.21pm train.