As part of the UK marking the 200th anniversary of the railway in 2025, Avanti West Coast recognised the important role it plays in connecting people and places with a unique competition – the Together We Roll Photography Competition. This contest was designed to celebrate local communities across its route captured through photography.
We invited photographers (professional, emerging, and amateur) to submit an image that perfectly captures the spirit of a community local to the West Coast Main Line, which serves major cities and towns in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Whether it’s cultural heritage, personal interactions, or celebrations, we wanted to showcase the local people and places in what was a special year for the railway.
As part of the UK marking the 200th anniversary of the railway in 2025, Avanti West Coast recognised the important role it plays in connecting people and places with a unique competition – the Together We Roll Photography Competition. This contest was designed to celebrate local communities across its route captured through photography.
We invited photographers (professional, emerging, and amateur) to submit an image that perfectly captures the spirit of a community local to the West Coast Main Line, which serves major cities and towns in England, Scotland, and Wales.
Whether it’s cultural heritage, personal interactions, or celebrations, we wanted to showcase the local people and places in what was a special year for the railway.
The photography competition followed the launch of Avanti West Coast’s Together We Roll train wrap – a bespoke artwork created by digital artist, Baraka Carberry, that celebrates the ethnicity of employees and communities across its network, underpinned by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy. It has now been fittingly named Legacy.
The Together We Roll Photography Competition opened to professional, emerging and amateur photographers and offered the opportunity for successful entrants to have their work shown as part of a presentation during a private event hosted by Avanti West Coast at The National Gallery in London, as well as part of an exhibition at stations on the West Coast Main Line for tens of thousands of people making rail journeys to see.
The winners of each category will also have their image published in Modern Railways Magazine and receive a pair of First Class tickets, as well as have their work displayed at stations on the West Coast Main Line.
A panel of judges chose winners, and commended entries, from 50 submissions and each image highlights the role the railway plays in connecting people and places.
For young creatives under 18 years old – whether it’s their first time entering a competition or they’re already building their portfolio, this category celebrates fresh talent and new perspectives.
Winner: Thomas Hill
Through the Green Corridor Tamworth, Staffordshire
Framed by dense greenery, an Avanti Evero train moves through the landscape on the West Coast Main Line. This image captures how closely nature sits alongside the railway, with trees and vegetation shaping the view as the line connects communities across the route.
Commended: Dalton Gearing
The Climate Train Preston Station, Lancashire
Designed for COP26 in Glasgow, this Avanti train becomes a mobile pledge for climate action. Wrapped with messaging on sustainability and the journey to net zero, it uses the West Coast Main Line to connect people with one of the most important global conversations of our time.
Amateur photographers
For adults who pursue photography as a passion or hobby – not for profit, but for the love of capturing moments, places and people that inspire them.
Winner: Jane Jones
Snowdonia at Dusk Llanberis, North Wales
Photographed in Llyn Padarn Lake in Snowdonia, close to the North Wales Coast Line, which connects into the West Coast Main Line at Crewe. Avanti services link Holyhead, Bangor and Llandudno Junction with Crewe, Chester, Birmingham and London, bringing customers within reach of landscapes like this.
Commended: CJ Rich
Curving into the North West Warrington Bank Quay, Cheshire
Captured on the approach to Warrington Bank Quay, this image shows the West Coast Main Line as it curves through the North West town. The station is a key stop on Avanti’s route, connecting London Euston with Lancashire, Cumbria and Scotland.
Commended: Tim Rogers
Across the Weaver Valley Dutton Viaduct, Cheshire
Built in the 1830s, Dutton Viaduct has carried the railway across the Weaver Valley for almost two centuries. Today it remains a vital part of the West Coast Main Line, supporting fast, long-distance services while standing as a lasting example of Britain’s railway engineering heritage.
Professional photographers
For adults who work in photography professionally – whether that’s commercial, editorial, documentary or fine art, this category is for those whose craft is also their career.
Winner: James Harding
Together We Roll Trent Valley, Staffordshire
Avanti’s Together We Roll train moving through Colwich in the Trent Valley, wrapped in a bold artwork celebrating ethnicity and the vibrant mix of colleagues and communities connected by the railway. Created with digital artist Baraka Carberry, the design reflects Avanti’s commitment to inclusion and the people who bring the route to life every day.
Our people
An internal category for Avanti West Coast employees – inviting entries from across the business to reflect their own view of the West Coast community.
Winner: Alistair Campbell
Northern Lights over Loch Lomond Loch Lomond, Scotland
The Maid of the Loch captured on the shores of Loch Lomond, which is easily accessible from Glasgow Central and the northern end of the West Coast Main Line. The railway brings customers into the city, placing landscapes like this within easy reach of Avanti’s route.
Commended: Owain Morgan
Where the West Coast Meets the Sea Stanley Embankment, North Wales
An Avanti service runs across the Stanley Embankment between the Isle of Anglesey and Holy Island as it approaches Holyhead. This striking stretch of railway highlights how the railway sits naturally within the landscape, linking the North Wales Coast Line into the West Coast Main Line.
Judges
Baraka Carberry
Digital Artist Baraka designed our Together We Roll train wrap. She goes by art alias Bokiba and is currently based in the Midlands. Other designs include the bus wrap for TfL and Royal Mail stamps celebrating the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush generation.
Paul Bigland
Paul is a Halifax-based photographer and journalist. His work has appeared in national newspapers, magazines and books for over 25 years. Starting as a travel photographer, Paul’s main work is now for the railway industry. Paul is also a judge for the annual Community Rail Awards.
Jas Lehal
Jas is a London-based photographer with over two decades of experience. Her work has been published in national outlets and many other publications and websites. Recent clients have included Net a Porter, Amazon, Debenhams, John Lewis, M&S, Sainsbury’s, and Discovery Channel.
Matt Pover
Matt is a cheshire-based photographer with over two decades of experience. He specialises in portraiture and has his work featured in various national titles. Recent clients have included Puma, Sony, Hugo Boss, Adidas and Sony.
Richard Clinnick
Richard has been editor of Modern Railways since November 2024 and has been a journalist since 2002. His role involves travelling across Britain (and sometimes further afield) for visits, interviews and research for the magazine - always by rail!
Terms and conditions
Please note your entry must be your original work and must not infringe the rights of any other party. You must be the sole owner of copyright in all photographs entered and must have obtained express permission of any people featured in the entries or their parents/guardians if children under 18 are featured.
Tamworth, Staffordshire
