A CREWE-BASED rail charity is offering a range of railway trips and tours as auction prizes during Railway Family Week.

The week-long fundraising event is being run by the Railway Benefit Fund (RBF), which supports current, former and retired railway people and their families.

With a £50,000 fundraising target, the charity, which has offices on Nantwich Road, hopes its Auction of Experiences will prove a real draw with a host of "money-can't-buy rail experiences" up for grabs.

The prizes include:

• A family ticket (valid for four) to travel on the Dalesman or Scarborough Spa Express

• A guided tour of St Pancras Station for four.

• Four first class return tickets for Avanti West Coast

• A VIP hovercraft experience with Hovertravel between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight

• A cab ride through the Scottish Highlands to Fort William on board GB Railfreight's British Alumina service.

The charity says: "Bidding in our auction is a great way to show support to the RBF. This Auction is part of Railway Family Week. It is a week-long fundraising event bringing together the whole Rail Industry."

Railway Family Week, which runs from April 26 to May 2, will also feature The 1858 Challenge, a fundraising campaign around the theme of 1858 which is when the RBF was founded.

For information on each of the lots in the auction go here.