Young Railway Photographer of the Year: Entries now open

The National Railway Museum in York has opened entries for the third Young Railway Photographer of the Year. The competition is for photographers aged 25 and under, and it began accepting submissions on Monday 12 October. Entry is free. The deadline is 4 April 2027, which gives a full winter, spring, and Easter holiday of travelling to fill a portfolio. This year, though, the museum has made a change that should bring in a much younger crowd than before…

Three age groups

The competition now runs in three age groups: 12 and under, 13 to 18, and 19 to 25. The youngest category is new, and the museum has deliberately lowered the bar to entry. Older entrants must submit a set of six photographs, but under-12s can take part with as little as a single image, and no more than four.

Every entry goes through the museum’s website. Equipment is no obstacle either. A smartphone is as welcome as a professional camera, film scans are accepted, and the organisers stress that no previous experience is needed.

The rules are sensible and clear. Pictures must have been taken after 4 April 2025, and ordinary digital correction is fine. Adding or removing objects, swapping backgrounds, combining frames from different times or places and AI-generated content are all ruled out.

Journey and destination

This year’s theme is The Journey and the Destination. The organisers want entrants to think about how railways connect people, places and communities, and to capture the moments that give a journey its meaning. That leaves a wide field, from the trains themselves to the passengers, the stations, and the country the line passes through.

Craig Bentley, director of the National Railway Museum, says the competition sets out to encourage “creativity, curiosity and new perspectives on the railways”. He adds: “Whether you’re photographing your daily journey, a family day out, a station close to home or a dramatic railway landscape, we want to see the world through your eyes.”

Craig also stresses accessibility. “You don’t need specialist equipment, and you don’t need to be an experienced photographer,” he says. “If you’ve got a story to tell through a photograph, we’d love to see it.”

Judging and exhibition

A panel of judges from photography, the railways and the creative industries will pick the winners in April 2027. The winning images then go on public display throughout August 2027, both at the museum in York and at Locomotion, its sister museum in Shildon, County Durham.

For a young photographer, seeing a print hang alongside one of the world’s great railway collections must be quite an incentive.

Cameras as prizes

The museum runs the competition in partnership with the Railway Photographic Society, which started the original contest, and organisations from across the railway and photography sectors support it. The winning portfolio in each age category earns a Canon EOS mirrorless camera kit. Further prizes go to the best single image, the runners-up, and the Railway Photographic Society Special Award, and each judge will also single out individual photographs.

Last year it was Fujifilm’s turn. The overall winner and the two age-category winners each took home an X-T5 with the XF16–50mm zoom, alongside railway experiences such as a ride on Network Rail’s New Measurement Train.

Pass it on

Most Macfilos readers are some way past 25. But many of us have children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews who carry a capable camera in their pocket every day. To my mind, the single-image option for under-12s is a sensible move, sparing a youngster the daunting business of assembling a portfolio before they have even started.

If you know a young photographer with an eye for trains, or simply for a good journey, this one is worth passing on.

Key facts

Full details, the rules, and the entry forms are on the Young Railway Photographer of the Year page of the National Railway Museum website.

We are grateful to Keith Walker for providing all the images in this article. Keith is an accomplished railway photographer and keen Leica user.

Further reading

Make a donation to help with our running costs

Did you know that Macfilos is run by six photography enthusiasts based in the UK, USA and Europe? We cover all the substantial costs of running the site, and we do not carry advertising because it spoils readers’ enjoyment. Any amount, however small, will be appreciated, and we will write to acknowledge your generosity.