Dr Beeching's decision was announced in September 1964 - 17 of the threatened stations were to close as well as the Ilkley to Skipton line, but a decision was deferred on the services between Leeds, Bradford and Ilkley via Guiseley due to the vigorous local efforts of the Ilkley Railway Supporters Association.  In the end, the decision was deferred for eight years during which time trains continued, but with only the barest of essential maintenance work.

The last regular passenger trains ran between Ilkley and Skipton on March 20, 1965.  Another change was that all trains ran non stop from Guiseley to Leeds and from Shipley to Bradford because of the closure of all the stations along the route. And in Easter 1965 for the first time ever there were no excursion trains to or from Ilkley.

Ilkley Station reverted to a terminus in January 1966 when buffer stops were built at the end of one of the platforms and the next year the last steam engine visited the town when it was dispatched to retrieve a broken down diesel.

In 1968 a fresh closure notice for the line between Bradford and Ilkley was issued and stations at Menston, Burley and Ben Rhydding all became unmanned. Only Ilkley and Guiseley kept staff to handle parcels.  Proposals to close the station at Ilkley again fought by the Ilkley Railway Supporters Association which helped produce more than 2,500 objections. A second public inquiry was held in 1969 and three years later rumours continued to circulate that the station was to close.  Campaigners took their fight to the top and met with the minister of transport. Their efforts were partially successful - in 1972 it was announced that the Ilkley to Leeds line had been saved, although the route between Guiseley and Shipley was to be closed - however, the closure never went ahead.  Instead, local authorities joined together to subsidise the service with Baildon Urban District Council agreeing with the condition that its station was re-opened - which it was in January, 1973.