Avanti West Coast auction items raise over £2,000 for Rail Aid

• Rail enthusiasts snap up much sought after Crewe Station signs
• Crewe photobook goes under the hammer in gala auction
• Railway Children’s Rail Aid campaign raises over £½ million

Avanti West Coast has helped raise over £2,000 for Railway Children by donating a number of items to the charity’s week long Rail Aid fundraiser.

Eight station signs from Crewe Station were snapped up by rail enthusiasts, eager to get their hands on a piece of railway history. A photobook, which captured the experience of the railway during COVID-19, also went under the hammer, fetching £255.

The signs will not have far to travel to their new homes, with five of the winning bids coming from people who live in or around Crewe. The remaining three will be spending their retirement in Milton Keynes, Wigan and Leicestershire.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the response and the amount raised,” said Karen Grimshaw, Station Manager for Avanti West Coast at Crewe. “So a big thank you to everyone, especially the winners who clearly have such fond memories of their time spent at the station.”

Crewe resident Rachel Cope (pictured), who successfully bid for a sign, added: “I couldn’t believe when I heard that I’d won one of the signs. I’m a regular visitor to the station, and the sign will be the perfect back drop to the model railway that I’m building, which is based on the layout at Crewe.”

Rail Aid, led by charity Railway Children, raised over £½ million in 2020, bringing the best of the UK rail community together to raise money and help vulnerable children whose lives have been impacted by coronavirus. 

ENDS