A private meeting is being held on February 2 to tell West Somerset Railway shareholders, staff and volunteers the full extent of the difficulties and challenges facing the heritage railway.

The meeting at Oake Manor Golf Club will be closed to the press and public and is described as “an important internal briefing” which will discuss funding, safety and how to cut costs and increase revenue.

News of the meeting coincides with an announcement on Tuesday that three heads of departments will be leaving the WSR after a decision to scrap their jobs.

A WSR spokesman said the axing of the posts of heads of the commercial, human resources and operations departments was part of a drive to improve the long-term efficiency and sustainability of the railway.

“The current post-holders have been notified that, with regret, they are leaving the service of the railway,” said the spokesman.

Other staff whose posts were under review “are being consulted about the potential future arrangements bearing in mind the need to reduce costs”.

WSR chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt said: “This is a very challenging time for the railway and we recognise that these decisions have a very significant impact on all our staff but particularly those directly affected.

“We are very saddened indeed when we have to lose any of our highly committed staff, but we must act in the best interests of the railway as a whole.

“All the staff who have recently left, and those who, following consultation, may be leaving in the near future, shall go with our best wishes.”

In a letter inviting staff and shareholders to the briefing meeting, “which as you would expect, will not be open to the press or the public”, Mr Jones-Pratt said there would be a series of presentations “highlighting where we are going, and what has been done so far”.

He added: “Our purpose is simple: We will discuss how your railway is facing up to the considerable challenges of funding and safely running England’s longest heritage railway in an ever-more-regulated environment and an increasingly volatile tourism market.

“We will need your help to achieve this."

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