A NEW community rail officer has been appointed by South West Wales Connected (SWWCo), a rail partnership set up to support the communities along the railway lines throughout Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.

Ashley Morgan joins SWWCo after a career focused on travel and customer relations; he previously worked in a customer facing role on ocean liners and prior to that he worked for Thomas Cook. He has also supported individuals as a mental health worker.

In his new role he will work to encourage the use of rail services through the increased participation of local communities in the network. He’ll also support a range of activities at and surrounding stations on the network, to provide economic, social, and environmental benefits to the region’s residents and visitors.

Ashley Morgan said: “I've always been keen on travel and tourism and the business aspects of these. When I saw this role advertised, it just called to me; it's all about bringing communities together, incorporating travel and tourism and business, and that's where my passion lies, so I was delighted to be appointed."