If you’re passing through London Liverpool Street station, there’s now more to see than just departure boards and coffee shops. The station has just launched a free exhibition to mark
200 years of the modern railway — and it’s well worth a visit.
Called ‘Lens on the Line’, the exhibition is a collaboration between Network Rail and Landscape Photographer of the Year. It features 17 stunning photographs of railways from all across the UK, all taken from past years of the photography competition. You’ll find the exhibition on the upper level of the station, right next to the Leon café.
But that’s not all — there’s also a special section dedicated to Liverpool Street’s own history. Originally set up for the station’s 150th anniversary in 2024, this part has been refreshed and expanded to tie in with the Railway 200 celebrations. Visitors can learn about key moments like the construction of platforms 11-18, and the station’s significant role in the Kindertransport rescue missions of 1938-1939.
To make the experience more comfortable, the station is planning to add additional seating around the exhibition area in the next few weeks — perfect for travellers who want to take a breather and soak in some history.
Kate Snowden, head of communications for Network Rail Anglia, said:
“We wanted to create a great new exhibition space where passengers and station visitors can spend a few minutes while waiting for a train or for someone to arrive. The photographs all give remarkable new perspectives on railway scenes, while the history exhibition will almost certainly tell you something you didn’t know about our station’s past. I would also encourage people to take a photo with our fun careers cut-out boards – and you might even pick up a prize.”
Charlie Waite, founder of Landscape Photographer of the Year, added:
“We wanted to team up with Network Rail again to help mark this momentous railway anniversary. The photography exhibition perfectly showcases the work of our amazing photographers. If you have any spare time at Liverpool Street, please do seek out the exhibition space, it will be well worth it.” Photo by Doyle of London, Wikimedia commons.