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Monday 24 Oct 2011

RAIL BRIDGE IMAGE TAY-KES TOP PRIZE IN NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

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National

- Beautiful shot of a train passing over the Tay bridge in Dundee at dusk wins Network Rail prize at the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition

A stunning photograph of the Tay rail bridge at dusk has scooped the Network Rail 'Lines in the Landscape' special award at the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards 2011.

The photograph, taken by Shahbaz Majeed from Dundee, was deemed the very best image of the national rail network from around 500 entries, by renowned landscape photographer and competition organiser, Charlie Waite. Mr Majeed wins a weekend break and a guided tour of the Severn Rail Tunnel’s Sudbrook Pumping Station, including travelling down the 180ft lift shaft to the complex of underground culverts, sub-tunnels where you can safely observe the trains as they pass.

Shahbaz explained how he took the photograph: "I shot this on the last day of December, hoping to get a great final image to end the year on that showed one of Dundee’s two bridges. I could see that the sunset was going to be good behind the rail bridge and decided on this composition. I just waited for a train to pass and adjusted the exposure to get the train in motion exactly where I wanted it and everything just came together as planned. As soon as I released the shutter, the smile on my face said it all."

Commenting on his winning choice, Charlie Waite said: "It was a delight to be the judge for the Network Rail Award again this year. Our railways have always been very close to my heart and, over the last few years, I have personally made the decision to travel by train, rather than car, whenever I can.

"The juxtaposition of the rail infrastructure with the surrounding landscape presents a myriad of photographic opportunities and it was good to see many of them realised so well this year. My congratulations go to Shahbaz, whose image, reminiscent of W H Auden’s Night Train, captures the essence of drama and speed and helps to reinforce how important the rail network is for us all."

David Higgins, Network Rail chief executive said, "Network Rail has so many stunning structures that stretch across our land and waters, helping to create beautiful views such as this, which inspire so many to capture them every year.

"Network Rail has the special duty of protecting and promoting our historic network as well as building a modern railway for the 21st century. Travelling by rail is becoming ever more popular, and we hope that, through this competition, even more people will recognise its importance to Britain today."

The image will be showcased along with more than 100 of the very best images from this year’s competition at a free exhibition at The National Theatre on the Southbank in London from 5 December 2011. For the first time, the nine runners up from the ‘Lines in the Landscape’ category will also feature in the awards book, Landscape Photographer of the Year Collection 5, by AA Publishing. Images from across the British Isles including North Wales, London, the Scottish Highlands and the West Midlands illustrate the very best of the rail network and the landscape around it.

Last year’s Young Photographer of the Year, Taliesin Coombes, picked up a 2011 commendation for the Network Rail ‘Lines in the Landscape’ section. Two photographs of the railway network taken by his father Robin were also commended for the same award.

The overall winner of the Landscape Photographer of the Year 2011 was Robert Fulton from North Lanarkshire with his remarkable image of a winter field in Stirlingshire, Scotland. His picture was chosen by the judges from the thousands of entries that showcased the richly diverse landscape of the UK. Robert wins the top prize of £10,000.