A NEW chairman has been appointed by the West Somerset Railway board of directors. Alan Nicholson succeeds John Irven, chairman for the past five years, who has resigned for personal reasons.

With a lifelong interest in railways, he joined the West Somerset Railway as a volunteer in 2013 and became Bishops Lydeard stationmaster station in 2014.

He joined the board as commercial and marketing director earlier this year.

Alan said: “I am delighted and honoured to take on this new role. John Irven did a magnificent job for several years and led the railway through some quite difficult times to a new period of stability.

“I am a one railway man and my role is to build on John’s success and to grow the business over the coming years with the support of the WSR family of organisations.

“It is also particularly important for the board to work to support the huge efforts of our highly committed and enthusiastic staff and volunteer team without whom there would be no railway.”

After a long career in the aerospace industry leading to senior posts in project management, marketing and business development, Alan ran his own successful holiday business in North Cornwall for five years.