Media centre

Friday 12 Apr 2013

Could a Westcountry railway image win Landscape Photographer of the Year?

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

The search is on in the Westcountry to find the best photography of the British landscape and that of the rail network.

Entries are now open for the Take a view - Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards 2013, which celebrates imagery of the best sights the country has to offer.

For the fourth year, Network Rail is supporting the competition, where amateurs and professional photographers can highlight the very best imagery of Britain’s beautiful rural and urban scenery and compete for the top prize of £10,000.

An additional prize will be given for the best photography of Britain’s rail network – the Network Rail ‘Lines in the Landscape’ Special Award. Last year, Graham Hobbs, from Dorset, took the prize with his image of the 08:30 rail service from Hamworthy speeding through the beautiful Holes Bay at Poole.

Tom Kelly, Network Rail’s director of corporate communications said: "This competition celebrates something very special - the way this country looks in all its different ways, some changing, some not. I am delighted that the railway, which forms such an important backdrop for both the urban and rural landscape in so many places, should be a part of it and look forward with anticipation to seeing the entries.”

Charlie Waite, renowned landscape photographer and competition founder is keen to encourage more people to enter the railway award. He said: “Judging this award is a great pleasure for me as Britain’s railways have always been close to my heart. Network Rail looks after an amazing 20,000 miles of track and owns over 2500 stations and so the photographic opportunities are endless. I will be looking for an image that captures the spirit of today’s railways, be they in the busiest cities or most remote countryside. Details, urban views and sweeping tracks are all eligible and I am hoping to see many photographs that inspire.”

For the first time, Network Rail will also exhibit a selection of previously commended images at five of its biggest stations this summer. Each exhibit will showcase photographs of locations which can be reached by the host station and include details of how to reach them by rail as well as how to enter the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.

Mr Kelly added: “By showcasing the competition’s beautiful and striking images we hope to inspire the millions that come through our stations to visit these fantastic places they can reach by rail and record their own amazing views with their cameras.”

This year’s winner of the Lines in the Landscape award has the option of joining a flight in Network Rail’s inspection helicopter which has onboard infrared technology to monitor thousands of miles of track, or a ride on the New Measurement Train, a converted high speed train that is used to capture geotechnical track data safely, punctually and reliably, collecting real time data and clocking up 80,000 miles per year. Either prize offers a unique photography opportunity not open to the public and £300 will be added, so that the winner can make a weekend break of it.