A new chairman and deputy chairman have been appointed to the board of the Severn Valley Railway Society Limited.

The appointments were made following the society’s first board meeting after its Annual General Meeting in June, and continuing the Railway’s long-standing practice, the board elected Charlie Wright as chairman and Mike Hulme as deputy chairman for the coming year.

Charlie Wright brings his experience as a chartered accountant and chief executive of a group of manufacturing businesses to his role. He is an active volunteer on the railway as a steam fireman, and led the railway’s One Railway organisational restructure, including the conversion of the former SVR (Holdings) Plc into the Severn Valley Railway Society Limited.

Mike Hulme has extensive experience in senior positions in the railway industry, covering engineering, operations, and executive leadership. Before retirement, he was the site managing director of Alstom’s rolling stock site at Derby.

Also appointed to the board were Antony Bartlam and Phil Swallow, who were co-opted as directors. Antony Bartlam is a structural engineer and long-standing Severn Valley volunteer and will have special responsibility for infrastructure, and was instrumental in coordinating the railway’s response to the collapse of the embankment at Mor Brook. Antony has also had a leading role in developing long-term infrastructure resilience and inspection programmes.

Phil Swallow is a co-owner of the West Country Pacific No. 34027 Taw Valley, which is based at the Severn Valley Railway. He has a long-standing passion for heritage railways and over 30 years’ experience in technology and business transformation

Other changes to the board include the retirement of Chris Walton, who steps down after 40 years at board level, including as chairman, and Andy Barr, who retired after 12 years on the board.

“These appointments bring together an exceptional combination of commercial, engineering and railway expertise. Charlie, Mike, Antony and Phil each have a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing heritage railways, and I look forward to working closely with them as we continue to build One Railway. I would also like to record my sincere thanks to Chris and Andy for their outstanding service to the SVR. Their commitment and leadership have helped the railway through some exceptionally challenging years, including the Covid pandemic and rising operating costs, culminating in our successful transition to a Charitable Community Benefit Society. Both have made invaluable contributions to the Railway, and I’m delighted they will remain active as volunteers, continuing to support an organisation that means so much to them and to so many others.”

Chief Executive Officer, Severn Valley Railway Society, Gus Dunster