Community Rail Awards 2025 now open for Entries! Click here to read more.

Mid Cheshire CRP launch summer photography competition

Year 6 pupils from Bexton Primary School in Knutsford, who are also members of the school photography club. Photo credit: John Horsley.

The Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership (CRP) will be repeating its ‘Through the Train Window’ photography competition during the school summer holidays. 

The competition will run from Monday 24 July and close at midnight on Friday 22 September, and is aimed at encouraging rail travel and discovering the cities, towns, attractions, and countryside that can be accessed along the Mid Cheshire railway line.

All photographic entries must be taken through the train window – either from a platform or train, but the platform or train must be part of the Mid Cheshire line (which includes stations running from Manchester to Chester via Altrincham).

There are three categories: 5-11 years, 11-18 years, and 18+ years. John Horsley, an experienced amateur photographer and member of Knutsford Photography Society, will once again judge the entries, with the winners announced no later than Friday 29 September.

Sara Muir, Community Rail Officer, said: “We hope this competition uncovers some budding photographers in our community. We have secured some great prizes for each age category – two return tickets for anywhere along the west coast mainline, two return tickets for anywhere in the Northern Rail network, and a voucher for four at Go Ape in Delamere Forest.

“John did a brilliant job judging last year’s entries and we are extremely grateful they can dedicate their time again this year. There is plenty of variety along our line – countryside to city, market town to canals. You can photograph from inside a train or from the platform – people, landscapes, or buildings. Just get creative and get snapping!”

Full entry details can be found on Mid Cheshire Line CRP’s website from 22 July. All entries can be uploaded on to social media using the #ThroughTheTrainWindow and #MidCheshireLine, as well as tagging the CRP’s social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram. Alternatively, photographs can be emailed to sandra.curties@midcheshire.org.uk.

The competition will go ahead unless rail strikes increase in frequency and prevent rail travel. In this instance, the competition will be postponed to a later date.

You can keep up to date with future news, projects, and events from Mid Cheshire Line CRP via their website.