A WEST Devon man has been appointed to the watchdog body which protects the rights of passengers on Britain's trains.
Neil Mitchell of Tavistock has been appointed by the Strategic Rail Authority to the Rail Passengers committee for Western England, to serve a five-year term.
Mr Mitchell is the chief executive of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council, and his career has spanned the public, private and voluntary sectors.
A committed supporter of railway development, Mr Mitchell has written extensively about the subject and advocates wider understanding of the region's railway history as a background to its present and future potential.
Mr Mitchell will consider the business, leisure and tourist rail travel experience and how to extend rail access to rural communities.