FIVE rail enthusiasts from Malvern are getting ready to lead the trip of a lifetime to one of the world's most scenic railways.

The Darjeeling Himalaya Railway Society was founded several years ago by David Barrie, a lifelong enthusiast of the line.

Mr Barrie and his wife Moo, David Mead and his wife Valerie, and Patricia Bromley are leading a party of 29 people to visit the railway later this month.

Mr Barrie said: "They're from the UK, Australia and Canada and are all rail enthusiasts." But the aim of the visit is not just tourism.

Last autumn, the Darjeeling Himalaya Railway Society signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian government to secure the future of the railway.

Members of the society also founded the Darjeeling Railway Community Support Group to help people of the region. The visitors will give more than £2,000 towards the group's work. About £1,600 of that was raised at a slide show and Indian bazaar.

Mr Mead said: "The money will be used to help fund health camps, tailoring courses to allow local women to learn skills, and a pathology lab. We'll be meeting the non-governmental organisations with whom we work and we're going to discuss what we'll do next, which will help us plan the next year's work."