The Young Railway Photographer of the Year competition is now open for entries, with all aspiring railway photographers aged 25 and under invited to submit images. Organised by the Rail Camera Club, the competition has attracted a number of big-name sponsors including Network Rail and the National Railway Museum.

There are several attractive prizes on offer including an opportunity to photograph from the top of the Forth Bridge (Network Rail), a Nikon Coolpix P900 (Jessops), and numerous vouchers for railway-related magazines and an opportunity to take part in a photographic railway experience.

Young photographers are invited to send in their best images of trains, taken since January 2019. Picture credit: Michael Topham (www.michaeltopham.co.uk)

The theme of the competition is ‘The Railway Seen,’ using images with a railway connection that have been taken since 1 January 2019. According to the organisers, “pictures should illustrate the diversity of the current railway scene in the UK and the variety of subject matter available such as steam, electric and diesel traction, contemporary railway vehicles, architecture, people, landscapes, design features and abstract image. Some images might also show how the new blends with the old. However, every picture must have some connection with ‘Britain’s railways today’.”

See the website for full details

Please be aware that entries will not be accepted if they have been taken from an unsafe railway location or a location where the photographer has clearly been trespassing on railway property.

The closing date is 1 November 2021 there are two age categories: aged 18 and under, and aged 19-25. There is also a single prize category (aged 25 and under). Full details can be found here.

Further reading
Master railway photography with your Canon DSLR