Trivia: Busiest level crossings by both road and rail usage combined

[PTR 444]

Mount Pleasant level crossing in Southampton is often regarded as one of the busiest in terms of trains per day using it, however it is situated on a relatively quiet residential street so has little road traffic going over it. On the other hand, the crossing on the A10 at Foxton has fewer trains, but a lot more road traffic going over it.

It would be interesting to find out which LC is the most heavily trafficked overall. In other words, the one which has the highest number of road AND rail vehicles combined using it. To work this out, you would need to add up the road’s AADT with the number of trains per day on the line crossing it.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The one in Brockenhurst has to be very busy.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Lincoln High Street must have been up there until it was pedestrianised a year or so ago..

 

[whoosh]

Helpston is pretty busy. Also the widest level crossing in the country at six tracks, I believe.

I would say the ones in Lincoln are pretty busy as well, and probably a condender for causing the most inconvenience to the local area - both short term (for the time the barriers are closed) and long term (traffic problems stifling commerce and growth in the city).

 

[David Goddard]

Until it was closed following the opening of the new bypass a couple of years ago, Ely level crossing was very busy.
With twelve passenger trains an hour and a regular stream of freight, there wasn't may minutes between the gates opening and closing again.
Road traffic was quite heavy as well, although there is an underpass its only suitable for cars and so anything taller than that needed to use the crossing (and of course each time they had a bridge strike - which they still do - the crossing got even busier!)

 

[swt_passenger]

Hampden Park was the answer in previous discussions, if considering rail and road combined.

Mount Pleasant Southampton was by far the busiest public road crossing for rail movements per day, shown in a NR usage spreadsheet a couple of years ago. It had 479 Rail movements in the 18 hour period 0600-2359, and was about 100 more than the crossing in 2nd place.

(There are footpath crossings with more rail movements than Mount Pleasant.)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Navigation Road level crossing (near Altrincham) currently sees up to twelve Metrolink trams during the day and two passenger trains on the adjacent Mid Cheshire Line, plus occasional freight workings.

Always been a bugbear when interchanging from heavy rail to tram (or vice-versa) as there's no overbridge at Navigation Road and there's a good chance of getting stuck behind the crossing barriers on the wrong side.

Quite a bit of local motor traffic there at certain times of the day.

 

[Bald Rick]

It would be interesting to find out which LC is the most heavily trafficked overall. In other words, the one which has the highest number of road AND rail vehicles combined using it. To work this out, you would need to add up the road’s AADT with the number of trains per day on the line crossing it.

So, basically, the crossing with the most road vehicles. As on most public highway level crossings, there are far more cars than trains.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

So, basically, the crossing with the most road vehicles. As on most public highway level crossings, there are far more cars than trains.

Reckon that you're probably right; a busy road traffic crossing with the barriers infrequently needing to come down for trains (maybe once or twice an hour) and so hardly interrupting the road traffic flow, would probably be the "winner" given how the OP has framed their question.

 

[aliceh]

Network rail do have the data should anyone feel like poring over it to find out! https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Level-Crossings-data-February-2020.xlsx

 

[Wychwood93]

Totton - assorted mentions in the re-opening of the Fawley branch thread.

 

[Western Sunset]

A lot of these crossings seem to be on the SW mainline. For pedestrian usage, the level crossing at Poole High Street must be up there somewhere.

 

[sjm77]

I always thought the level crossings between Clapham Jcn and Richmond must be troublesome to all concerned!

 

[alistairlees]

So, basically, the crossing with the most road vehicles. As on most public highway level crossings, there are far more cars than trains.

You beat me to saying this (by a margin). I expect the ratio of road vehicles to trains on busy crossings is something like 200:1 or 1000:1 (anyone know?)

 

[Flange Squeal]

Sunningdale won't win awards for train movements (half-hourly off-peak and up to quarter-hourly peak, so 4-8 per hour), but in terms of traffic it might do well. It is located on the main A30 road between Heathrow, Staines, Camberley and towns beyond. It is in fact dual carriageway over it, and according to ABC Railway Guide it has only 107 trains per day but 13,991 road vehicles and 816 pedestrians/cyclists.

For comparison, previously mentioned Mount Pleasant has a lot more trains at 459, but only 3,240 vehicles (891 pedestrians/cyclists).

The previously mentioned Poole High Street has 112 trains (so similar to Sunningdale), but vehicle traffic doesn't apply. Pedestrians though? A whopping 30,078!!

Source: http://abcrailwayguide.uk/

 

[Altfish]

Navigation Road level crossing (near Altrincham) currently sees up to twelve Metrolink trams during the day and two passenger trains on the adjacent Mid Cheshire Line, plus occasional freight workings.

Always been a bugbear when interchanging from heavy rail to tram (or vice-versa) as there's no overbridge at Navigation Road and there's a good chance of getting stuck behind the crossing barriers on the wrong side.

Quite a bit of local motor traffic there at certain times of the day.

You beat me to it.
My only comment is that there are more trams, they are every 6 minutes in each direction; if my maths is correct that's 20 an hour

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Currently only every ten minutes during the day, aren't they?

 

[Altfish]

Currently only every ten minutes during the day, aren't they?

Ah, I'm not sure but pre-COVID they were every 6-minutes; I think you may be correct they are every 10 mins

 

[London Trains]

http://abcrailwayguide.uk/

Using that website, I've found North Sheen level crossing has 341 trains per day and 8262 vehicles per day. That must be one of the most used level crossings for a line with that many services. It has more vehicles than the level crossings at Barnes and Mortlake.

 

[alistairlees]

I think Barnes Road near Raynes Park will be more road traffic movements. Maybe also Selby West.

 

[etr221]

Looking at the Network Rail spreadsheet mentioned above, and sorting by number of trains (not easily done by vehicles), the busiest combinations (trains and vehicles):
Pleasants crossing, at Hilgay has 661 trains (busiest in that respect), but is pedestrian only (and only a few of them)
Mount Pleasant 459 trains, 3240 vehicles
Brimsdown and Enfield Lock both 379 trains, about 5000 vehicles
Deansgate Junction 364 trains, 2808 vehicles
Mortlake 353 trains, 5323 vehicles
N Sheen 341 trains. 8262 vehicles
Hampden Park (Eastbourne) 340 trains, 9126 vehicles

Looking for high numbers of vehicles: Thorpe Lane (Runnymede) 223 t, 10391 v; West Barnes, 218 t 11233 v; Wallsend (Pevensey) 159 t 12339 v; Sunningdale 107 t 13991 v are the highest I spotted,

From those, I think I would nominate Hampden Park when considering both figures combined - others have more of one, but much less of the other (either way).

(Note: I haven't listed all the 'busy' crossings, only those tending to be highest overall)

 

[swt_passenger]

Hampden Park (Eastbourne) 340 trains, 9126 vehicles

From those, I think I would nominate Hampden Park when considering both figures combined - others have more of one, but much less of the other (either way).

I’d tend to agree, you’ve basically come up with similar justification for Hampden Park as in the 2018 thread I mentioned earlier...

 

[London Trains]

Mortlake 353 trains
N Sheen 341 trains

How do they have different amounts of trains per day?

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

How busy is the A4103 where it crosses the Cholsey to Wallingford railway?

 

[Belperpete]

How do they have different amounts of trains per day?

I spotted that - different survey dates.

 

[colchesterken]

Eastgates Colchester. trains runs at low speed for junction. blocks traffic on the east of town

 

[MontyP]

I think Barnes Road near Raynes Park will be more road traffic movements. Maybe also Selby West.

You mean West Barnes Lane i think. Normal timetable is 6 trains per hour in each direction plus peak extras so not as busy as North Sheen or Mortlake. And i doubt that the road traffic is as busy either. But it does cause a lot of hold ups in the area.

 

[Belperpete]

Looking at the Network Rail spreadsheet mentioned above, and sorting by number of trains (not easily done by vehicles), the busiest combinations (trains and vehicles):

The busiest MCB crossings in terms of train x vehicles movements appear to be:
Hampden Park (Eastbourne) 340 * 9126 = 3,102,840
Brockenhurst 240 * 12879 = 3,090,960
North Sheen 341 * 8262 = 2,817,342
Lyminster 194 * 14202 = 2,755,188
Foxton 168 * 15493 = 2,602,824
W. Barnes 218 * 11233 = 2,448,794
Eastfields Rd (Merton) 224 * 10638 = 2,382,912

Notably all but one are on the Southern, but interestingly some are well outside the inner London area.

Mount Pleasant comes top of the MCBs in terms of the number of trains using it, but well down (#31) in these rankings:
Mount Pleasant (Soton) 459 * 3240 = 1,487,160

Boston West Street appears to be the top MCB in terms of the number of road vehicles using it, but #97 on the movements ranking:
Boston West Street 31 * 25623 = 794,313

Next busiest controlled crossing in terms of road vehicles using it seems to be an AHB:
Beccles Bypass 33 * 21681 = 715,473

The busiest AHBs appear to be:
Boldon 224 * 7938 = 1,778,112
Parsonage Rd 154 * 9203 = 1,417,262
Tile Shed (Tyneside) 224 * 5346 = 1,197,504

 

[alistairlees]

Multiplying the two numbers together doesn’t make any sense. Adding them up is the only thing that makes sense.

 

[4COR]

The previously mentioned Poole High Street has 112 trains (so similar to Sunningdale), but vehicle traffic doesn't apply. Pedestrians though? A whopping 30,078!!

Source: http://abcrailwayguide.uk/

Though, from memory when I last went there (I was 11, which is some time ago!) there is a pedestrian footbridge at the LC, so not quite as inconvenient as for a vehicle. Whether peds choose to use the footbridge of course...