AT the age of 30 the new chairman of the Dean Forest Railway probably has a claim to being the youngest head of a heritage railway in the country.

"Thirty is quite young to be chairman of a heritage railway," said Ben Gray, whose passion for preserved railways began at his grandparents' home next to the "Watercress Line" in Hampshire.

He said: "I was absolutely fascinated by it and I first became a volunteer at the age of 12 working in the buffet."

Ben joined the Dean Forest Railway because it was the closest to his home in Penarth near Cardiff.

He has worked on the permanent way – the line – and as a guard and is now chairman of the Dean Forest Railway Ltd.

He takes over from Peter Adams who has stepped down as chairman. Also retiring from the board is commercial director Bob Morris.

Ben says the next few years will be a time of "consolidation" although he says visitors will notice a difference very soon with the opening of a new cafe.

"We would like to see the railway being used more by local people. The cafe will be somewhere they can drop by.

"We want to open a second platform at Whitecroft and put in a passing loop which will make operating the railway more flexible.

"In the longer term we would like to extend the line and the most likely place would be Speech House Road."

Ben is also keen to reduce the time the level crossing gates are closed in the centre of Lydney to allow trains to pass.

He said: "The time the gates are closed is a challenge – they are closed a lot less than the gates on the mainline but traffic can build up very quickly."

The railway has about 900 members and of them about 150 are "working" volunteers who work on every aspect.

Ben said: "You'd think some of them were paid they are here so often."

As well as the obvious roles running trains, volunteers work in the shop and museum, maintain the track and take on "back office" jobs.

Ben added: "Volunteering for the railway is a great way for young people to get real-world experience for their CV."

A group of young volunteers from teenagers to people in their early 30s are currently restoring a "Prairie" engine.

Ben said: "This is an exciting time to be involved with the Dean Forest Railway."