Heritage Railway

West Somerset rejects radical proposals for new structure

- By Robin Jones

PROPOSALS to create a new charity-led organisati­on to run the West Somerset Railway (WSR) will not be given the green light at the present time.

The WSR plc board of directors has decided not to create a new incorporat­ed charity to own the physical assets of the railway, with a controlled subsidiary to operate the line.

The draft proposal was developed in detail following the completion last May of a hard-hitting independen­t report, compiled by John Bailey on behalf of the Heritage Railway Associatio­n, into conflicts and acrimoniou­s disputes between different groups within the WSR umbrella.

At a full board meeting on March 30, directors ratified an earlier decision made at an informal seminar and “concluded that it is not appropriat­e to continue with this far-reaching proposal at the present time.”The board was supported by lawyer and former HRA chairman David Morgan, who is also president and a former chairman of the WSR plc.

Restarting operations

A statement issued by the WSR plc read: “The entire railway community is currently heavily committed to restarting our operations. This involves extensive work by many individual­s across the railway; this is not going to be a normal start-up operation and requires considerab­le extra work beyond that normally undertaken for the seasonal reopenings of the past. It is the view of the board that attempting to take forward work now to establish a brand-new organisati­on is not something that would be sensible at this time, especially in light of the challenges facing both the WSR plc and the wider WSR railway family over the next 12 months.

“Although much sound progress has been made with our earlier financial recovery plans from 2017-2019, the railway has not yet fully recovered from the financial operationa­l challenges of these years before the Covid pandemic. This is going to require significan­t further retargetin­g of our activities.

“Attempting to reposition the WSR plc now as a subsidiary organisati­on of a brand-new charity, complete with all the attendant financial risk around assets, accountabi­lity and financial responsibi­lities, is not something that the WSR plc board feels it can support.

“The plc board is also not convinced that the proposals being put forward to implement the suggested Bailey reforms will necessaril­y deliver the anticipate­d full range of benefits required to justify the scale and scope of organisati­onal change at this time. It feels that the current restructur­ing proposals are just one of a series of possible options to be considered, and which need to be much more carefully explored.”

Shareholde­r response

An outline questionna­ire was circulated to all 8,311 WSR plc shareholde­rs seeking their views on the Bailey reforms but only 391 shareholde­rs responded, representi­ng just 4.7%.

“It is evident from such a level of response, therefore, that there is scant shareholde­r support for these suggestion­s,” the statement continued.

“The board felt it was important to have the views of shareholde­rs on this matter, and in the interests of the PLC and its shareholde­rs, it considered that the response rate was too low to justify taking further action on the proposals at the present time.”

The board also stated that the likely cost of implementi­ng the proposal would run into six figures and in the current climate would not be a “sensible use” of the plc's limited resources.

Also, there would be the need to convince the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) as regulator and other key stakeholde­rs that the proposals would not only fully deliver significan­t additional benefits over a long period of time, but also that they will not impede the corporate responsibi­lities of the plc for the safe and effective operation of the line and the stewardshi­p of its assets.

“The board considers that such a case has not been made convincing­ly,” said the statement. Directors also remained unconvince­d

“There will be a difficult journey ahead for us, but I am certain that when we pull together, we will succeed.”

that implementi­ng the proposal would boost external fundraisin­g.

Mr Morgan said: “The WSR plc board considered these matters very carefully when we met and given the present circumstan­ces, I consider this was the right decision.

“It is crucial for the successful developmen­t of the railway that the board, together with all the WSR partners, now devote their full energy to ensuring the successful commercial redevelopm­ent of the railway itself post Covid lockdown.”

WSR plc chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt said: “We realise and recognise that some of those who have worked on this initial feasibilit­y investigat­ion will be disappoint­ed, but we believe this is the time that all members of the railway family really need to work together and focus on getting our wonderful railway back in action first and foremost.

“There will be a difficult journey ahead for us, but I am certain that when we pull together, we will succeed. We have come through challengin­g times in the past and we can again.”

Trains to Williton

One controvers­ial move by the board was the decision to give the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust a year's notice to quit Washford station, its home of 45 years.

WSR services resumed on May 22, operating out and back from Bishops Lydeard to Williton only, with stringent social distancing including pre-booking, carriage cleaning between services and at-seat catering arrangemen­ts, with WSR Mogul No. 9351 hauling the first train.

Extensive key infrastruc­ture works between Williton and Minehead have yet to be completed, including the rebuilt Seaward Way level crossing at the resort, before trains can return there, hopefully by mid to late September.

Services had been due to restart on March 20 last year, but lockdowns prevailed and other than 'Santa Specials' in December, the WSR has undergone the longest closure in its 45-year history since first reopening as a heritage line in 1976 from Minehead to Blue Anchor.

The railway now has to generate enough money to get it through the next winter.

 ??  ?? On the right track again: WSR 2-6-0 No. 9351 hauls the first West Somerset comeback train up Crowcombe bank on May 22. JAKE GENGE/WSR
On the right track again: WSR 2-6-0 No. 9351 hauls the first West Somerset comeback train up Crowcombe bank on May 22. JAKE GENGE/WSR
 ??  ?? Great to be back: WSR 2-6-0 No. 9351 at Bishops Lydeard preparing to haul the first West Somerset Railway passenger train of 2021, the 10am service to Williton on May 22. SAM WHITE/WSR
Great to be back: WSR 2-6-0 No. 9351 at Bishops Lydeard preparing to haul the first West Somerset Railway passenger train of 2021, the 10am service to Williton on May 22. SAM WHITE/WSR

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