THE chairmen of the West Somerset Railway's three supporting/operating organisations have united in their condemnation of what they describe as a "hostile takeover campaign'; after a small group of railway volunteers and supporters came together to implement a restructure of the railway.
On September 4, the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust (WSSRT) received papers proposing to appoint 14 named additional trustees to its board, with the overall aim of pushing through a merger between the trust and the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA).
This would create a new controlling charity, with West Somerset Railway pie as its subsidiary operating company.
As a direct consequence the WSSRT postponed its Annual General Meeting (scheduled for September 19) in order for the trust to take legal advice.
The 14 individuals in question, since reduced to nine, are seeking early implementation of recommendations made in a recent independent Peaceful Somerset report by North York Moors Historical Railway Trust chairman John Bailey.