Direct Rail Services' (DRS) annual charity day raised a record £29,000 this year.

The event, which took place at the firm's premises in Kingmoor, was attended by more than 2,500 visitors, who got to explore the company's locomotives and look around its workshops.

This takes place every year and alternates between the Carlisle and Crewe depots.

Around 20 per cenr of the fleet was on display, including Class 20 locomotives and the brand new Class 88.

The maintenance shed was also open allowing access to the cabs of locomotives including the Class 88 . T

It also saw DRS celebrate a naming ceremony for one vehicle - 66301 - which was unveiled as ‘Kingmoor TMD’. This is the first of the Class 66 locomotives to be named.

Another first was a nameplate auction, which boosted the total raised with almost £14,000.

This money will now be distributed to charities throughout the year. Last year the firm supported more than 50 causes.

DRS began as an offshoot of BNFL at Sellafield in 1995, tasked initially with moving nuclear cargoes.

It operates more than 100 locomotives, employs 440 staff and is responsible for taking 26m truck miles off UK roads every year.