Young people across Wiltshire are being encouraged to pick up a camera or smartphone and take part in a special photography competition celebrating 200 years of the railway.
The competition, run by Wiltshire’s community rail partnership TransWilts in collaboration with The Arts Society Kington Langley (TASKL), includes categories especially for children aged 5–10 and young people aged 11–18. Entries close on 31 December.
As well as the chance to win prizes such as photography gear and travel passes, successful entries will be displayed at local stations and may also appear in TransWilts and The Arts Society publications.
Every photo submitted will also feature in an online exhibition, ensuring that all young photographers have their work showcased.
The brief is to capture how the railway connects communities, both past and present, as part of this year’s 200th anniversary of the modern railway. That might mean a shot of a busy town centre station, a rural platform or a scenic view framed by the tracks. Entrants can submit up to three photographs.
Sophie Martin, Community Partnership Manager at TransWilts, explained, “2025 marks 200 years of the modern railway, and the resulting impact on the world. This competition is all about celebrating two centuries of our rail network across Wiltshire; how it brings people together and connects our communities, both now and throughout history.
“We’re looking forward to receiving a wide variety of shots from across the county and from all ages too. We hope people will take this opportunity to get out, explore, and share their unique perspective of rail in Wiltshire.”
Kington Langley’s TASKL has worked with TransWilts before to bring art to the railways, including Art@The Station in Chippenham. The organisation also supports arts in education and works with schools and youth groups across the area.
Heather Leach, TASKL Arts Volunteer, added, “The beauty of photography means that everyone can have a go; whether it’s a spontaneous shot or one that you’ve made a special journey to take. We look forward to seeing the entries coming in from across the county.”
The competition is open to amateur photographers only. Images should be submitted in high resolution (around 3MB) in JPEG, JPG or PNG format.
For more information and to upload your entries, visit www.transwilts.org.
