Avanti West Coast celebrates route through lens of keen photographers

• Avanti West Coast announces winners of Together We Roll Photography Competition
• Selection of images by keen photographers to be displayed at railway stations
• Vibrant “Together We Roll” train named “Legacy” to honour people and places across West Coast

Avanti West Coast has announced the winners of its photography competition, with the selected images celebrating local places set to go on display at stations across its route.

Selected from 50 entries to the Together We Roll Photography Competition, four winning images - submitted by professional, emerging and amateur photographers - highlight the role the railway plays in connecting people and places.

Capturing locations local to Avanti’s route, including Loch Lomond and Snowdonia, the photographs entered in each of the four categories (Emerging artists; Amateur photographers; Professional photographers; Our People) showcase communities across the West Coast.

The judges, which included professional photographers, an artist, and railway journalists praised the technical quality of the images, along with their striking use of colour and light. They also noted the photographs encompass life on and around the railway.  

The work of the keen photographers was shown as part of a presentation during a private event hosted by Avanti West Coast at The National Gallery in London. The winning images will also be published in Modern Railways Magazine and displayed at stations on the West Coast Main Line.

The competition followed the launch of Avanti West Coast’s vibrant “Together We Roll” train wrap – a brightly coloured design that celebrates and represents employees and communities across its network – which is underpinned by its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy.

Created by digital artist, Baraka Carberry, the artwork stretches across all seven carriages of one of the intercity operator’s Evero trains (807010).

Since entering service last summer and completing the roll out of the new fleet, Evero 807010 has clocked over 100,000 miles. To mark this milestone, Avanti West Coast has unveiled the name that will be carried by the train - “Legacy”.

Avanti West Coast employees who helped design the “Together We Roll” train wrap put forward the name “Legacy” to honour the roots of railway staff and communities, while giving a nod to the lasting impact they continue to make.

Jo Bird, Communications Director at Avanti West Coast, said: “We’re grateful to everyone who helped us capture the spirit of our route through this competition – just as our Together We Roll train wrap celebrates the people who live and work on the West Coast Main Line. With the railway playing a vital role in connecting people and places, and the rail industry recently celebrating its 200^th anniversary year, this felt a great opportunity to showcase that through the lens of keen photographers.

“The winning images offer a unique snapshot of the West Coast and we’re pleased they will be enjoyed by the millions of people who travel through our stations.”

Baraka Carberry, who was one of the judges of the competition, said: “It was hard to choose from the many amazing entries as there was so much talent! The winners should be proud of the elements of the West Coast they have captured – their photos are leaving a legacy.

“It has been great to involve others in capturing the communities along the West Coast through this competition. People from all walks of life use transport and the winners have captured that through a lens and taken license to tell their story. Everyone has a different perspective on life and that shone through in the entries we received.”

ENDS