Young Landscape Photographer of the Year helping to refresh Burgess Hill train station waiting room

Young Landscape Photographer of the Year and East Sussex College Lewes (@WeAreESCG) student, Joshua Elphick will be one of the first artists to exhibit work in train station waiting rooms as ‘Art on the Line’ returns this March, starting in @BurgessHRail.

Back in October 2020, Josh was crowned Young Landscape Photographer of the Year, and will now show off his stunning scenery shots in the newly refurbished Burgess Hill railway waiting room.

A 180-year-old wooden storage hut has been transformed into a comfortable waiting area for passengers as Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) rollout a network-wide, multi-million-pound station improvement programme.

To coincide with the opening of the waiting room, East Sussex College and GTR have teamed up to relaunch the Art of Line art exhibition.

Artwork from talented students studying at East Sussex College will be installed in permanent picture frames to help freshen up and bring the room to life. The exhibition will start at Burgess Hill station, and will then extend to include other stations along the Southern network.

Nigel Ryan, East Sussex College, said, “Art on the Line is a fantastic artwork project that we started a few years ago. We teamed up with GTR to help them make railway waiting rooms a more enjoyable place to sit while passengers wait for their train.

“We’re really pleased to be giving the exhibition a refresh and relaunching it with some incredible imagery from one of the finest young photographers in the country. Josh studies with us at our Lewes campus, and we think his award-winning work will look fantastic in the newly refurbished room at Burgess Hill.”

Josh Elphick, said, “It feels amazing to have my work up in two locations that will be seen by thousands of people daily.

“When I started photography a few years ago, I had no idea what it would lead to. Having my work displayed in a solo exhibition feels amazing and it’s really motivating and exciting to see what I can do next with photography.

“A huge thank you to all my tutors who taught me the basics of photography in my first year of college, and also thank you to everyone who has made the Art on the Line exhibition happen.”

With the population of Burgess Hill set to grow in the coming years, GTR worked with the local community and Network Rail to make sure the station offers passengers a pleasant travel experience.

Chris Fowler, Southern’s Customer Services Director, said, “We’re making stations more pleasant, comfortable and efficient to use, and more sustainable, supportive assets for their local communities.

“This unique waiting room will be a welcome addition. The station is an important and popular part of the town’s fabric and community, so I’m delighted we’ve been able to do this while protecting its historical appeal. It’s also great to have created an opportunity to extend the Art on the Line programme with our partners at East Sussex College.”

The opening of the waiting room recently appeared on ITV Meridian, where Josh spoke to James Dunham about his work. You can watch the report here.

Josh’s photography is not only on display in the waiting room. He has also recently launched his own website. You can see his incredible work and have the chance to purchase prints online at www.joshelphick.com.