Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Home People New appointments for the Heritage Railway Association

New appointments for the Heritage Railway Association

The Heritage Railway Association’s recent AGM saw two new appointments to the Board of Directors, Steve Clews, of the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, and Stuart Williams of the Talyllyn Railway. At the same time, Geoffrey Claydon, CB, announced his retirement, following 17 years of service.

An engineer, with a career in the operation and construction of oil tankers, Steve Clews has hands-on experience of the development and management of standards, practices and guidance, and is a member of the HRA’s Operations and Safety Committee. Steve has worked on heritage railways since 2004. He is a driver and mechanical inspector with the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, where he has been Chairman since 2014. He is also a director of Oswestry and Borderlands Tourism.

Steve said: “The HRA has a very important role to play as the single face to regulators, as lobbyist on behalf of our members, and in providing good guidance and best practice.”

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Stuart Williams began his involvement with the Dean Forest Railway in 2006, becoming Chairman of the Board in 2016. He joined the Talyllyn as General Manager in 2017. With a successful commercial career behind him, Stuart brings hands on business-management experience to his roles with the HRA Board of Directors.

Stuart said: “I’m proud to be appointed to the HRA Board, where I think it’s important to have representation from people ‘doing the job’.

After 17 years on the HRA Board, Geoffrey Claydon, CB, has retired. His service with MI3, counter-espionage, was followed by a legal career, including time with the Department of Transport’s Legal Directorate. Geoffrey then joined the HRA Board in 2003, bringing with him legal expertise, as well as a deep knowledge of trams and tramways.

His love of trams and long interest in tramways was nurtured by his childhood in Birmingham. His interest and involvement in saving and restoring traditional trams is well known world-wide. Geoffrey was a patron and historian of the Light Rail Transit Association, winning the association’s 2015 Special Award for his long-standing tramway advocacy and campaigning, and he remains closely involved with the Crich National Tramway Museum and Crich Tramway Village in Derbyshire.

HRA Chairman Brian Simpson OBE said: “Geoffrey’s legal expertise has served us and our members well over almost two decades – he’ll be hard to replace, but we wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement from the Board. And we welcome our two new appointments, who add to our complement of directors in full-time employment in the industry.”

Photo credit: Heritage Railway Association

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