User operated level crossing, Canterbury West.

[Cherry_Picker]

http://youtu.be/mRQt_PMhBXY

Stumbled upon this video earlier and found it rather interesting. It's a guy explaining how user operated level crossings work and he does it as a Javelin train passes by.

The crossing is here between Canterbury West station and Chartham station. What is the linespeed and frequency of service down there?

 

[user15681]

Very interesting, not seen that video before.

Speed limit through here is 70mph in both directions. (Saying that, there is a 15mph speed limit approaching Canterbury West so trains in that direction would probably have started slowing by then and in the other direction, the crossing is not far from Canterbury West, so I'm not sure if trains would have got up speed by then. Unfamiliar with that stretch.)

Frequency is 3tph in either direction (2 to/from Charing Cross and 1 to/from St Pancras).

P.s Should have said, it's Whitehall Level Crossing.

 

[Railsigns]

Instead of commenting on the status of the railway line, as in "this is a high speed rail line" (oh, really?), it would have been far more relevant if he'd said something about the road in question. Not exactly the M25, is it?

This type of crossing is only used on private roads or roads of a very local nature.

 

[w0033944]

Under what classification does this crossing fall - it's obviously a UWC but, as it has miniature lights, it could also be considered an R/G type as well?

 

[Islineclear3_1]

I used to know this crossing very well as a boy and am surprised that it survives to this day. It crosses Whitehall Road which is a lightly used country road serving a couple of farms. It is also adjacent to a flood plain (remember the line closure at Chartham during the winter storms?). It is also very near the Canterbury East line at Chartham Hatch.

Now how did this chap know that a Javelin wasn't about to pass in the opposite direction....!? Bit irresponsible standing on the crossing with the barriers up, not to mention the possibility of a car/tractor that could have whizzed across at the same time seeing the open crossing and ignoring the red/green lights.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I'm guessing he wasn't on his own.

 

[causton]

Indeed, all the videos on that channel seem to be shot from two or more camera angles which makes me think there are at least two people there. Also any car would see the barrier closest to him was actually at 45 degrees as he did not pump it for long enough (probably so he could get his camera back that he attached to it )

 

[318259]

I used to cycle quite a lot when I lived in south east Kent. Some lovely places to cycle in the summer down there.

There's another user-operated level crossing on a back road between Deal and Dover. It had two white gates that you opened, crossed, then closed behind you.