WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement due
2027-04-14 (in 11mo)
Last made up 2026-03-31
Watchouts
Cash
£371K
-8.3% lowest in 4 filed years
Net assets
£2M
+0.7% vs 2024
Employees
52
+8.3% highest in 4 filed years
Profit before tax
-£29K
+93.1% highest in 4 filed years
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
Material uncertainty over going concern
The accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis, which assumes that the Railway will continue in operation for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of the financial statements... These events or conditions indicate that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.
Net assets
5-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
5-year trend · latest reflected 2025-03-31
| Metric | Trend | 2021-03-31 | 2022-03-31 | 2023-03-31 | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | £2,467,483 | £2,726,084 | £3,090,962 | £3,491,818 | |
| Operating profit | — | -£362,465 | -£237,218 | -£234,558 | -£836 | |
| Profit before tax | — | -£384,339 | -£262,662 | -£424,300 | -£29,460 | |
| Net profit | — | -£316,442 | -£216,317 | -£422,690 | -£29,460 | |
| Cash | — | £510,144 | £482,471 | £405,058 | £371,301 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | — | £3,802,940 | £3,542,196 | £2,936,136 | £2,856,147 | |
| Net assets | — | £2,937,654 | £2,780,662 | £2,376,082 | £2,392,687 | |
| Equity | £3,225,266 | £2,937,654 | £2,780,662 | £2,376,082 | £2,392,687 | |
| Average employees | — | 44 | 50 | 48 | 52 | |
| Wages | — | — | — | £951,657 | £1,055,041 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2021-03-31 | 2022-03-31 | 2023-03-31 | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | -14.7% | -8.7% | -7.6% | -0.0% | |
| Net margin | — | -12.8% | -7.9% | -13.7% | -0.8% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | -9.5% | -6.7% | -8.0% | -0.0% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | — | — | — | 34.9% | 34.1% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | — | 1.33x | 1.24x | |
| Interest cover | — | -8.95x | -4.22x | -7.72x | -0.03x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Albert Goodman LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Material uncertainty disclosed
“The accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis, which assumes that the Railway will continue in operation for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of the financial statements... These events or conditions indicate that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.”
Group structure
- WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY · parent
- Locomotive 5542 Limited
- Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited
- Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC
- Great Central Railway PLC
- North Norfolk Railway PLC
Significant events
- “We had a major contract in mid 2024 and we are pleased how this went: we are actively pursuing other possibilities.”
- “In terms of wider strategy, during mid 2024, the Strategic Outline Business Case for restoring scheduled train services between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard was jointly developed... and duly submitted to the Department for Transport. Unfortunately, the change in Government... meant that this did not get an immediate positive response.”
- “We have benefitted considerably financially from the recent visit of Flying Scotsman and the team are to be congratulated on all the work that went into this.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
7 active · 69 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOUR FIFTY PARTNERSHIP LIMITED | Corporate Secretary | 2019-01-11 | — | — |
| BOSWELL, Joy Rosalind | Director | 2021-01-29 | Sep 1968 | British |
| COURTNEY, Francis Moor | Director | 2021-02-24 | Feb 1945 | British |
| JOACHIM, Rowan Elisabeth Margaret | Director | 2023-02-21 | Mar 1977 | British |
| JONES-PRATT, Jonathan | Director | 2018-09-13 | Nov 1983 | British |
| SMITH, Malcolm David | Director | 2024-04-29 | Oct 1955 | British |
| WICHARD, Robin Jeremy | Director | 2024-04-29 | May 1959 | British |
Show 69 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| COLEBY, Ian Kenneth | Secretary | 2017-04-01 | 2018-05-02 |
| EVENS, Geoffrey William | Secretary | 2005-01-01 | 2013-07-27 |
| LIZARS, Roger Lancaster | Secretary | — | 2005-01-01 |
| MAW, Richard | Secretary | 2018-02-23 | 2019-01-11 |
| PATEMAN, Geoffrey William | Secretary | 2013-07-27 | 2017-03-31 |
| ADAMS, Nigel Paul | Director | 2009-04-25 | 2012-05-25 |
| ALDRIDGE, Ian William | Director | 2013-01-26 | 2015-07-19 |
| AUGER, Richard Barry | Director | 2005-06-25 | 2019-05-02 |
| AUSTIN, Christopher Anthony | Director | — | 2008-09-27 |
| BAKER, David Edward | Director | 2012-10-20 | 2016-07-01 |
| BOLT, Christopher Wesley | Director | 2014-10-18 | 2017-06-24 |
| BROWN, Martin Hughes | Director | 2019-03-28 | 2021-02-16 |
| CASTLEDINE, Andrew John | Director | 2020-07-30 | 2023-02-14 |
| COLEBY, Ian Kenneth | Director | 2015-10-28 | 2018-11-05 |
| CONIBEARE, Paul William | Director | 2018-07-21 | 2019-06-28 |
| CONIBEARE, Paul William | Director | 2018-01-19 | 2018-06-23 |
| COOPER, Mervyn Roger Downham | Director | 2000-11-25 | 2004-06-26 |
| COURTNEY, Francis Moor | Director | 2017-07-29 | 2018-05-08 |
| COURTNEY, Frank Moor | Director | 2018-07-21 | 2019-04-30 |
| COX, Geofrey Malcolm | Director | 2015-10-28 | 2016-07-01 |
| CRUDGE, Brian John | Director | 1994-02-26 | 2008-04-02 |
| DAVIDGE, Kenneth James | Director | 2015-10-28 | 2017-10-16 |
| DAVIES, Humphrey Robert | Director | 1996-01-27 | 2016-12-31 |
| DIEJOMAOH, Arthur Akpovona | Director | 2021-09-25 | 2023-03-23 |
| DONNER, John Melville | Director | — | 2005-06-25 |
| DOWRICK, Christopher William James | Director | — | 2012-06-23 |
| EVENS, Geoffrey William | Director | 2004-09-25 | 2018-06-23 |
| FAULKNER, Richard Oliver, Lord Faulkner Of Worcester | Director | 2004-10-30 | 2005-10-29 |
| GREENWAY, Rodney Stewart | Director | 2018-04-20 | 2018-11-06 |
| GRELLIER, Benjamin John | Director | 2017-03-25 | 2017-12-16 |
| HANCOCK, Paul David | Director | 2017-03-25 | 2017-12-06 |
| HARRISON, Ian Francis | Director | 2016-07-01 | 2016-10-30 |
| HATCH, James Ian | Director | — | 1992-06-11 |
| HODGES, Shaun David | Director | 2011-11-12 | 2014-08-09 |
| HOLMES, Richard David | Director | 2006-03-01 | 2011-03-13 |
| IRVEN, John | Director | 2012-05-01 | 2017-06-28 |
| JOHNS, Michael Anthony | Director | 2001-04-28 | 2012-12-31 |
| JONES, Richard Peter | Director | 1999-07-01 | 2001-02-24 |
| JONES, Richard Peter | Director | 1992-07-25 | 1996-01-27 |
| KERR-PETERSON, Justin James Melville | Director | 2020-04-23 | 2021-05-27 |
| KNELL, William James | Director | 2018-01-30 | 2018-09-13 |
| LILLIS, Richard Patrick | Director | 2015-10-28 | 2016-12-24 |
| LIZARS, Roger Lancaster | Director | — | 2013-06-29 |
| LOWTHER, Neil Illingworth | Director | 1995-11-25 | 2008-06-28 |
| MAJOR, Stephen David | Director | 2012-07-07 | 2012-07-10 |
| MAJOR, Stephen David | Director | 2012-06-23 | 2014-07-31 |
| MAW, Richard Jonathan Compton | Director | 2018-01-19 | 2018-11-22 |
| MEANLEY, Robert | Director | 2021-03-30 | 2022-03-26 |
| MEANLEY, Robert | Director | 2019-12-14 | 2020-07-30 |
| MORGAN, David Treharne | Director | — | 2012-06-23 |
| NICHOLSON-FLORENCE, Alan David | Director | 2017-03-25 | 2017-12-06 |
| PATEMAN, Geoffrey William | Director | 2013-07-27 | 2018-06-23 |
| PEARCE, John Edward | Director | — | 1994-02-26 |
| ROBERTS, Stephen Thomas | Director | 2011-07-30 | 2012-05-01 |
| SAVILL, Roger Stewart | Director | 1997-02-22 | 2014-07-31 |
| SHORT, Audrey Mary | Director | — | 1999-06-30 |
| SMITH, Mark Leonard | Director | 2018-11-22 | 2020-11-21 |
| SMITH, Mark Leonard | Director | 2006-03-10 | 2016-10-29 |
| SMITH, Mark Leonard | Director | — | 2006-03-09 |
| STONE, Ian Gordon Winston | Director | 2009-05-05 | 2015-06-28 |
| STONEHAM, Rachel | Director | 2023-03-28 | 2024-07-24 |
| SWAN, Peter Thomas | Director | 1994-02-26 | 2001-05-26 |
| TAYLOR, Dennis Herbert | Director | — | 2007-03-31 |
| THOMPSON, Michael Henry | Director | 2020-11-21 | 2021-02-26 |
| WHITE, Robin Mark | Director | 2008-02-23 | 2009-02-02 |
| WILLIAMS, Stephen Victor | Director | 2020-06-09 | 2023-01-03 |
| WILLIAMS, Stephen Victor | Director | 2012-06-23 | 2017-06-30 |
| WILTON, John Challis | Director | 2011-03-12 | 2015-06-27 |
| WOOD, Richard Antony | Director | 2000-06-24 | 2004-10-30 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 378 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-16 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2026-04-15 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2025-10-20 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2025-10-06 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-05-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-05-13 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2024-10-10 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-08-06 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-05-31 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-05-30 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2024-05-30 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2024-05-28 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-05-28 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-10-03 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2023-10-03 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2023-09-25 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-05-30 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2023-05-25 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2023-05-25 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2023-05-15 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 6
- Capital events
- 4
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.
Year-on-year
FY2024 → FY2025 · period ending 2025-03-31 vs 2024-03-31
-
Turnover
+13%
£3,090,962 £3,491,818
highest in 4 filed years
-
Cash
-8.3%
£405,058 £371,301
lowest in 4 filed years
-
Net assets
+0.7%
£2,376,082 £2,392,687
-
Employees
+8.3%
48 52
highest in 4 filed years
-
Operating profit
+99.6%
-£234,558 -£836
highest in 4 filed years
-
Profit before tax
+93.1%
-£424,300 -£29,460
highest in 4 filed years
-
Wages
+10.9%
£951,657 £1,055,041
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. Periods don't have to be exactly 12 months apart — a long or short period (typical around incorporation or year-end changes) will distort the comparison. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers