Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => On The Road => Topic started by: rogerzilla on 04 July, 2021, 07:19:32 am
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Level crossings are no longer built, and NR has removed hundreds over the years for safety reasons. I went along this lane yesterday, broken in half during the 1970s, with a monumentally unattractive footbridge replacing it.
Stainswick Ln
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zU4rt2VH6wDVsRC76
Turns out this one was mentioned in the HoC by Airey Neave, Thatcher's Northern Ireland enforcer (later assassinated on the ramp of the HoC car park) and local MP. He misidentifies it as Ashbury Lane (there is no Ashbury Lane) but the description makes it clear this is the same crossing.
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=1972-03-21a.1423.1
The Knighton lane did get its underpass and the Shrivenham bridge was upgraded and realigned, as per his statement (it was rebuilt again a couple of years ago, for electrification) However, the ugly footbridge seems to have been the eventual solution to Mr Sheppard's animal movement problem.
Any cut-in-half roads near you?
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No, but I’d ridden past that lane many times and wondered where it went. Time never permitted me to satisfy my curiosity
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I can’t picture any cut in half roads (plenty of crossings though), but I can think of two cut in half bridleways. One near Wilmington, where the crossing is a footpath (with awkward barrier for cyclists). The other is a tangent to the topic, being cut in half by the A23 near Newtimber.
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The A414 cuts Panshanger Lane in half. I suppose it still counts as a level crossing:
https://goo.gl/maps/Tpwnzc8c9uejXV7h9
There's a footpath behind the Fiat with zero aid for pedestrians / cyclists wishing to cross.
The A1 Barnet Bypass cuts diagonally through what used to be a crossroads:
https://goo.gl/maps/8BE1ANdaNzSKmi1w6
For peds and cyclists there's a bridge. Known in our club as Horseshit Bridge. I think the concrete one you dislike is much prettier.
Oh, you were talking about railways?
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Vague recollection of finding one bisected by the line up the Lea Valley while checking a route from central Londonton to the start of LEL 2009.
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Vague recollection of finding one bisected by the line up the Lea Valley while checking a route from central Londonton to the start of LEL 2009.
Yes. If you walk accross this one it disappears:
https://goo.gl/maps/87sfyxfJ46ACTdak7
There's probably loads along there that have been closed over the years.
Which reminds of this very retro one on the Enfield Town branch, which the Google car must have been one of the last to cross:
https://goo.gl/maps/LeEJCvZNET519JLJ8
It was smashed up by an MM in 2012 and is still "temporarily" closed to cars. You can still walk over it, last I checked.
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St Ann's Rd/Upper St Ann's Rd, Faversham - I'm assuming this was once a level crossing... there's now a footbridge over the railway here, but cars have to go a few hundred metres in either direction for a bridge to get to the other side.
https://goo.gl/maps/2PXsTyVwMUxYgKdx7
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51288694621_7977dc0fbd.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m9cY3i)
St Ann's Rd (https://flic.kr/p/2m9cY3i) by citoyen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/103760266@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51289693415_948bfce524.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m9i5WT)
Upper St Ann's Rd (https://flic.kr/p/2m9i5WT) by citoyen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/103760266@N08/), on Flickr
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They are in the process of closing the level crossing at Waterloo Road, Wokingham. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4082293,-0.8003125,15z?hl=en-GB (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4082293,-0.8003125,15z?hl=en-GB)
Unfortunately the developers have yet to build the southern distribution road that creates the vehicle bypass so when I start commuting to the office again I shall have to carry my bike up and over the footbridge, or divert via the A329. the diversion is Okish west bound, enter and first exit as everything is accelerating upto motorway speeds, but East bound is nasty as I will need the roundabout and almost all the traffic will still be at motorway speeds and wanting the slip left to bypass the roundabout.
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For peds and cyclists there's a bridge. Known in our club as Horseshit Bridge. I think the concrete one you dislike is much prettier.
What do you get coming up from Trotter's Bottom?
Horseshit Bridge!
IGMC
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The A414 cuts Panshanger Lane in half. I suppose it still counts as a level crossing:
https://goo.gl/maps/Tpwnzc8c9uejXV7h9
There's a footpath behind the Fiat with zero aid for pedestrians / cyclists wishing to cross.
That’s the A414 bypass built in 1993. Crossing there is okay on the weekend. Otherwise there is a paved cycle way further west , off the old rather quiet and pleasant A414 , that takes you from Letty Green to WGC via an underpass. Then a short section of quiet leafy WGC and you’ll be back in the lanes to Tewin.
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Gowanhill Farm Road/Newmills Road to the west of Edinburgh was once level crossable, but is now only accessible on foot or bike.
https://goo.gl/maps/DdRuqVAHtBRg9tcaA
Similarly, Baberton Road/Whitelaw Road was once a level crossing – somewhere I have a photo of it back in t'day – but it's long since restricted to foot or bike.
https://goo.gl/maps/GN3VHJUp4ULUuqxPA
While it's not closed closed, the level crossing at Haggerston (http://"https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.6928892,-1.9167715,126m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en") is for diehard level crossers only. It's on a rather fast bit of the ECML south of Berwick, and you have to manually open and close the big metal gates as you go. I only used it once because it was so scary, even if it has a warning siren.
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By Teynham station (near Faversham) there's a house that's just the wrong side of the tracks (literally, probably not metaphorically). It's accessed by a user-operated level crossing. I have always assumed the crossing was retained because it was a dead end, but looking on the map, the road continues and joins up with another road further along, so if you lived there, you could easily go round the long way and use the road bridge - adds a few hundred metres to the journey but I expect that is still quicker than opening and closing the gates. I don't think I've ever witnessed the crossing being used.
In fact, there's a lot more going on over that side of the tracks than I ever realised - several more properties further along the road. You learn something new every day!
There are two automated level crossings locally that I cycle over regularly, on rural lanes. I'm always slightly nervous of using them because of the completely rational fear that one day the automation will break down... on the other hand, the alternative way round in both cases would involve cycling on the A2, and I'd rather take my chances with the trains, to be honest.
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Not closed, but not automated either. A request crossing: https://goo.gl/maps/BexhG9okaTM1jqVb9
Last time i came across here, I had pressed the 'Press to Cross' button but nothing happened for a few minutes. Impatient, I picked up the phone and spoke to the signalman who explained that the anticipated train leaving Didcot had been delayed at the platform and the next window wouldn't be for another 7 minutes. I was cold and grumpy so cancelled the request and rode the 2km diversion route instead.
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There's a couple of level-crossing near me that I guess can't be replaced. The level of driver stupid is dangerously high (it's very common for drivers to simply queue over the tracks). One of the signallers was sacked a year or two back for bashing cars with the barriers to teach them a lesson (I have some sympathy, though evidently it's not allowed).
Then there's stuff like this (https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/11802073.reckless-driver-jailed-train-tracks-crash/).
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Sickening, Ian. I had an Astra for about 13 years; it always used to stop whenever I applied the brakes. I'm wondering how someone can deny driving without insurance?
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[I was accused of driving without a license or insurance when several years ago Cambridgeshire police misspelled my surname and so failed to connect a non-existent individual with either my address or my vehicle. I denied the charges.]
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Oops, yes, of course - though I think it's meant that the car has no insurance. I am feeling increasingly like a non-existent person, even though my car is insured...... I think.
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I seem to remember another story that said he didn't have a licence too (and of course, no MOT). I think at some point it becomes moot, he doesn't care and won't care. Driving bans in such situations are laughable. Knowing the road (it's Salmons Lane here (https://www.google.com/maps/@51.3034296,-0.0789996,17z)) I can't even think how or the speed he had to be travelling to land the car where he did. I can only assume he took the corner from the A22 at extremely high speed and flipped the car.
Anyway, having spent a fair amount of time waiting for trains and observing the traffic at the crossing in the minutes before the train arrives, queuing across the tracks is a regular event, particularly for cars waiting to get out onto the A22. There's usually an impressive bit of a panic when the lights start to flash, cars trying to get onto the other side of the road and out of the queue.
The crossing is supervised by someone watching the CCTV so they don't bring the barriers down, and instead hold the train further up the track (the irony, of course, is that drivers didn't do this, there would be less of a precautionary wait – not mention extended schedule and waits for train passengers).
It's frightening how stupid some people are.
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I've been beeped at for refusing to enter the crossing when my exit wasn't clear. It's bad enough people taking chances with their own life, but they can fuck off if they want to take the same chance with mine.
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The thing is that it doesn't get them anywhere quicker, so I'm not clear what they expect to achieve.
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The thing is that it doesn't get them anywhere quicker, so I'm not clear what they expect to achieve.
I think it's called Making Progress which is a special sort of driver impatience only loosely related to average speed that you can fail your driving test for not doing enough of.
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Sickening, Ian. I had an Astra for about 13 years; it always used to stop whenever I applied the brakes. I'm wondering how someone can deny driving without insurance?
A relative of mine got fined and points for driving without insurance.
They did the correct thing by telling the AA that they were moving. The AA wrote to their OLD address requesting confirmation of the change of address, and the new occupants put the letter in the bin. The AA cancelled the insurance due to lack of response. >:( >:( >:(
My relative believed that they were fully insured, until the police stopped them as ANPR had pinged.
My relative appealed, but got nowhere, so had the points, fine, and inability to get insurance. The AA admitted their mistake and were the only company that would insure them, at vastly increased premium >:( >:(
(A few years later, as stupidly the relative also had house insurance with AA, they were burgled and the AA refused to pay out a single penny due to a technicality on how the burglars entered. My relative locked the assessor out, while his laptop and personal possessions were indoors. Assessor asked to be let in to collect belongings, and relative said no - they could let themselves in in the same way the burglars did..... )
(I used to be a AA member, but the one time I needed recovery the b******s charged me £180. It'd have been cheaper to phone a local garage.)
I refuse to touch the AA with a bargepole now.
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I can't think offhand of any roads bisected by closed level crossings round here though I'm sure there must be some. In fact when the Swindon to Gloucester line was redoubled, some of the crossings were updated; the one at Minety was made automatic and the one at Purton got lights. And going back to Airey Neave's farmer, the GWML electrification involved rebuilding cattle bridges as well as road bridges.
There are loads of roads (and even more bridleways and footpaths) cut off by the M4 and M5.
We do have a station cut in half by lack of a footbridge at the village of Pilning. The footbridge between the two platforms was deemed corroded and removed but not replaced, so you can only get a train towards Bristol (I think the official procedure in the other direction is to carry on to Severn Tunnel Junction and return).
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Gypsy Lane in Boro has a level crossing closed to cars, it makes it a decent cycling route. It used to be a horrendous rat run.
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There's other crossings on that line that are now footpath only, to make up for it.
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I can't think offhand of any roads bisected by closed level crossings round here though I'm sure there must be some. In fact when the Swindon to Gloucester line was redoubled, some of the crossings were updated; the one at Minety was made automatic and the one at Purton got lights.
I remember going over one of them about 20 years ago, on a CTC ride. A man popped out and put the gates across for us. Must have been the Minety one (on Crossing Lane, natch).
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Yep, it was like that till 2014, I think. Must have been a great job, like a Bernard Cribbins impersonator! (okay, I'm sure there were lots of other duties as well, not to mention being responsible for actual lives)
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Apparently automated crossings became a thing in the UK when British Railways realised some people were being paid a full-time wage to move the gates twice a day. There were a few jobs on the railways like that.
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This road
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7826049,-0.8015194,3a,75y,259.48h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPv6r_rqd8CFRl6waU5O1zg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DPv6r_rqd8CFRl6waU5O1zg%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D259.47632%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
is now closed, because HS2 >:(
Side note: The field to the righ had a "Weetabix" sign in it - presumably as that's where the wheat in it was destined.
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I just see a road ???
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I just see a road ???
I'm guessing the Google street view is out of date and rafletcher is suggesting it no longer looks like that.
The real question is whether they are going to build a crossing or expect you to go round via Risborough Rd.
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I'm guessing the Google street view is out of date and rafletcher is suggesting it no longer looks like that.
I wonder why they haven't sent a car along it?
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I wonder why they haven't sent a car along it?
;D
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The last on-request railway crossing I used* was, I think, here (https://www.google.com/maps/@52.2294065,-2.123394,3a,75y,278.49h,86.66t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sSC611THA_VMXtgMdvEXxFA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DSC611THA_VMXtgMdvEXxFA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D224.95047%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192) near Droitwich. I got into a conversation with the crossing keeper, which was rudely cut short by a loud bell and the crossing keeper running back to his building to close the gates before the approaching train smashed them to matchwood. I don't think he got much custom.
*Actually this is a lie. I used one in Poland in 2018.
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Woodbridge and Melton has eleven level crossings within about a mile and a half, many of which were ungated with warning lights, and the remaining gated but with no warning lights. Only one of these crossings actual has a road over it, the rest being tracks serving a few businesses and/or homes and the very popular river footpath. Most of the crossings have extensive foot traffic over them with vehicle traffic being quite light on all but the road crossing. There are two footbridges over the railway, both at the stations for rail passengers. It’s a quite branch line with there being at most one train an hour.
In the twenty or so years we’ve lived here I’ve never heard of any incidents on any of the crossings but Network rail have just finished upgrading them all to having self locking gates or barriers. I’m in two minds about this, I mean how difficult is it to get wrong. Trains are both very predictable and rather hard to miss being as they are very large and quite noisy. On the other hand, none of the new barriers or locks have added any inconvenience, but they are ugly.
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Shame they've demolished his little
hut operational control centre.
As for Polish level crossings, the automatic ones can be unreliable – best used on a "stop and look" basis.
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best used on a "stop and look" basis.
That might be OK as long as you don't have high-speed trains on the line. I remember being on a station somewhere in the south of France when the TGV came through - it was a hot day in August and the heat haze over the line meant you wouldn't have seen the train until it was too late to get out of the way.
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In the twenty or so years we’ve lived here I’ve never heard of any incidents on any of the crossings but Network rail have just finished upgrading them all to having self locking gates or barriers. I’m in two minds about this, I mean how difficult is it to get wrong. Trains are both very predictable and rather hard to miss being as they are very large and quite noisy. On the other hand, none of the new barriers or locks have added any inconvenience, but they are ugly.
Trains can be travelling twice as fast as cars on the road and take far more than twice as long to stop. I'm not sure they're predictable in a useful way for crossing the tracks. More to the point, people don't always use the crossings sensibly. Kids run across them as a dare and adults are just in a hurry.
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Shame they've demolished his little hut operational control centre.
As for Polish level crossings, the automatic ones can be unreliable – best used on a "stop and look" basis.
I noticed that on my 2018 and 2014 tours. Everyone stopped at level crossings and looked both ways. The most extreme example was where a disused line crossed a campsite (in the Masurian Lake District I think), dividing it in two. The track was overgrown in both directions. There was a permanently flashing light, but so dim it wouldn't have been visible at all in bright sunlight. But everyone I saw stopped and checked before crossing.
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Apparently automated crossings became a thing in the UK when British Railways realised some people were being paid a full-time wage to move the gates twice a day. There were a few jobs on the railways like that.
My maternal grandparents.
Although I only remember my grandmother, they both ended their railway careers on a level crossing box (with a once-a-week coal siding) on the branch line between Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable /Luton.
If I remember correctly the station at Stanbridgford had a permanent staff member for three trains a day each way.
Many happy memories, but completely unsustainable economically.
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St Ann's Rd/Upper St Ann's Rd, Faversham - I'm assuming this was once a level crossing... there's now a footbridge over the railway here, but cars have to go a few hundred metres in either direction for a bridge to get to the other side.
https://goo.gl/maps/2PXsTyVwMUxYgKdx7
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51288694621_7977dc0fbd.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m9cY3i)
St Ann's Rd (https://flic.kr/p/2m9cY3i) by citoyen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/103760266@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51289693415_948bfce524.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m9i5WT)
Upper St Ann's Rd (https://flic.kr/p/2m9i5WT) by citoyen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/103760266@N08/), on Flickr
I grew up in the house visible ahead in the first picture, on the right in the second. There was a crossing that was only used by oversized vehicles that were too big for the bridges on the other routes into the town. They had to phone and be escorted across. They often got stuck and blocked the London to Dover trains for hours. When the new relief road was built in the 90s, there was a bridge free route into Faversham so it was removed completely, along with the crossing keepers hut which was still there at the time - it was on the left of the second photo.
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Ten years ago I wrote this about our encounter at a level crossing near Doncaster:
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=40489.msg917536#msg917536
That crossing is now closed and an elaborate bridge has been erected over the railway.
(http://peter.chesspod.com/gallery/d/10275-1/DSC06459.JPG)
On another occasion we were, by sheer good luck, the first people to cycle across the Rounton bridge on the A19:
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7486.msg182522#msg182522
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St Ann's Rd/Upper St Ann's Rd, Faversham - I'm assuming this was once a level crossing... there's now a footbridge over the railway here, but cars have to go a few hundred metres in either direction for a bridge to get to the other side.
https://goo.gl/maps/2PXsTyVwMUxYgKdx7
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51288694621_7977dc0fbd.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m9cY3i)
St Ann's Rd (https://flic.kr/p/2m9cY3i) by citoyen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/103760266@N08/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51289693415_948bfce524.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2m9i5WT)
Upper St Ann's Rd (https://flic.kr/p/2m9i5WT) by citoyen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/103760266@N08/), on Flickr
I grew up in the house visible ahead in the first picture, on the right in the second. There was a crossing that was only used by oversized vehicles that were too big for the bridges on the other routes into the town. They had to phone and be escorted across. They often got stuck and blocked the London to Dover trains for hours. When the new relief road was built in the 90s, there was a bridge free route into Faversham so it was removed completely, along with the crossing keepers hut which was still there at the time - it was on the left of the second photo.
As a teenager there was a local lady who my mum spotted looking as though she was going to jump off the bridge. She invited her down for a cup of tea and called for help. The police arrived and we all had tea. After it had happened a couple of times, the lady used to knock on the door and say she wanted to jump and it cut out the cold bit of the process. Last I heard she was doing much better and was married and happy.
I sprained my foot running down the bridge in high heeled sandals when I was 15. My sister, aged about 4, rode her toy tractor down the steps the way the big kids did with their bikes - my mum saw her from the house and got to the bottom in time to pick her up after the crash.
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I grew up in the house visible ahead in the first picture, on the right in the second. There was a crossing that was only used by oversized vehicles that were too big for the bridges on the other routes into the town. They had to phone and be escorted across. They often got stuck and blocked the London to Dover trains for hours. When the new relief road was built in the 90s, there was a bridge free route into Faversham so it was removed completely, along with the crossing keepers hut which was still there at the time - it was on the left of the second photo.
Aha! Thanks for the insights, that's really interesting. And the anecdotes! Hadn't occurred to me that the bridges would be a problem for lorries, but it seems obvious now you mention it.
Also I didn't realise the relief road was that recent.
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I grew up in the house visible ahead in the first picture, on the right in the second. There was a crossing that was only used by oversized vehicles that were too big for the bridges on the other routes into the town. They had to phone and be escorted across. They often got stuck and blocked the London to Dover trains for hours. When the new relief road was built in the 90s, there was a bridge free route into Faversham so it was removed completely, along with the crossing keepers hut which was still there at the time - it was on the left of the second photo.
Aha! Thanks for the insights, that's really interesting. And the anecdotes! Hadn't occurred to me that the bridges would be a problem for lorries, but it seems obvious now you mention it.
Also I didn't realise the relief road was that recent.
Until the 90s there was also a bridge across Whitstable road at the end of the Rec.
I suspect the St Ann's crossing became less used when Forbes Road was built. Prior to that, I believe there was a level crossing at the top of Preston Street which now has a foot tunnel to The Mall. (back on topic!)
https://goo.gl/maps/bqVCQVx3cC54Ww2A6
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Until the 90s there was also a bridge across Whitstable road at the end of the Rec.
A road bridge? That is surprising.
I suspect the St Ann's crossing became less used when Forbes Road was built. Prior to that, I believe there was a level crossing at the top of Preston Street which now has a foot tunnel to The Mall. (back on topic!)
https://goo.gl/maps/bqVCQVx3cC54Ww2A6
Yes, it is pretty obvious from the street view pics that there would have been a crossing on Preston St once upon a time. Forgot about that one, though I've used the foot tunnel many times.
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Until the 90s there was also a bridge across Whitstable road at the end of the Rec.
A road bridge? That is surprising.
No it was a rail bridge. I assume for freight, but I don't know.
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Oh, I see! Very interesting…
<google>
Yes, you can see it in this old map - it goes down to Standard Quay (which is all trendy boutiques and sourdough pizzerias nowadays):
http://www.archiuk.com/cgi-bin/build_nls_historic_map.pl?search_location=,%20Faversham,%20Kent&latitude=51.312600&longitude=0.882705
Also shows the crossings at Preston Street and St Ann’s Road.
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Cor! That's fascinating, thank you.
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Interesting stuff. I'll need to investigate next time I'm DFL.
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There are a fair few roads like this on the eastern end of the Central Line of the London tube network. That bit of line was originally a Great Eastern Railway branch line until being taken over by the tube network around the time of the Second World War and converted to third rail electric in the late 1940s. Of course, that meant the existing level crossings all had to be closed for obvious safety reasons. Some, like the crossing at South Woodford Station, George Lane, South Woodford, E18 were replaced with new bridges and revised road layouts. Others, like Snakes Lanes, Woodford Green and (I think) Eagle Lane, Wanstead, were replaced with pedestrian only subways. All effectively cutting the road in half.
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There is a recent example of this at the west end of Feltham station. Plenty of 3rd rail level crossings still exist on National Rail though.
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There are a fair few roads like this on the eastern end of the Central Line of the London tube network. That bit of line was originally a Great Eastern Railway branch line until being taken over by the tube network around the time of the Second World War and converted to third rail electric in the late 1940s. Of course, that meant the existing level crossings all had to be closed for obvious safety reasons. Some, like the crossing at South Woodford Station, George Lane, South Woodford, E18 were replaced with new bridges and revised road layouts. Others, like Snakes Lanes, Woodford Green and (I think) Eagle Lane, Wanstead, were replaced with pedestrian only subways. All effectively cutting the road in half.
Not quite the same thing but this reminds me that there's something similar by New Beckenham station - at least, I think that's what is going on - it looks likely, from the map view (https://www.google.com/maps/search/new+beckenham/@51.4163116,-0.0402008,16z) - although there's no visible evidence it was ever a level crossing. Anyway, there's a pedestrian tunnel under the rail line and it's a useful cut-through from Park Rd to Lennard Rd when I'm cycling from Bromley into central London via East Dulwich (I have a few different routes and this variant is possibly my favourite).
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There’s a manned crossing near me, on a lane frequently used by cyclists . They’ve fitted chains and padlocks on the pedestrian gates due to frequent cases of cyclists going across closed gates, and despite being told by the keeper that a train was due.
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Turns out this one was mentioned in the HoC by Airey Neave, Thatcher's Northern Ireland enforcer
An interesting fellow - escaped from Colditz and made it back to the UK after walking to Gibraltar, then joined the Nuremberg trials and as a fluent German speaker was in charge of delivering the indictments.
There's an interesting one on the London Reading line, level crossing replaced by an combined cycle and pedestrian bridge. https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4479243,-0.4116772,3a,75y,164.06h,91.76t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s6tFUHqnAcENKhn3pLqnJyw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D6tFUHqnAcENKhn3pLqnJyw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D92.877594%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192
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There are a fair few roads like this on the eastern end of the Central Line of the London tube network. That bit of line was originally a Great Eastern Railway branch line until being taken over by the tube network around the time of the Second World War and converted to third rail electric in the late 1940s. Of course, that meant the existing level crossings all had to be closed for obvious safety reasons. Some, like the crossing at South Woodford Station, George Lane, South Woodford, E18 were replaced with new bridges and revised road layouts. Others, like Snakes Lanes, Woodford Green and (I think) Eagle Lane, Wanstead, were replaced with pedestrian only subways. All effectively cutting the road in half.
Not quite the same thing but this reminds me that there's something similar by New Beckenham station - at least, I think that's what is going on - it looks likely, from the map view (https://www.google.com/maps/search/new+beckenham/@51.4163116,-0.0402008,16z) - although there's no visible evidence it was ever a level crossing. Anyway, there's a pedestrian tunnel under the rail line and it's a useful cut-through from Park Rd to Lennard Rd when I'm cycling from Bromley into central London via East Dulwich (I have a few different routes and this variant is possibly my favourite).
That one seems to have been built as a subway/overbridge when the railway was built
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That one seems to have been built as a subway/overbridge when the railway was built
Yes, that seems quite likely.
From the map view, it looks obvious that the road predated the railway line, but if there ever was a level crossing, there's no visible evidence remaining.
An interesting fellow - escaped from Colditz and made it back to the UK after walking to Gibraltar, then joined the Nuremberg trials and as a fluent German speaker was in charge of delivering the indictments.
I read his Colditz books as a teen (early 80s), and on trying to find out more about what had become of him, was shocked to discover that he'd got himself blown up by the IRA. That sucks.
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Turns out this one was mentioned in the HoC by Airey Neave, Thatcher's Northern Ireland enforcer
An interesting fellow - escaped from Colditz and made it back to the UK after walking to Gibraltar, then joined the Nuremberg trials and as a fluent German speaker was in charge of delivering the indictments.
There's an interesting one on the London Reading line, level crossing replaced by an combined cycle and pedestrian bridge. https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4479243,-0.4116772,3a,75y,164.06h,91.76t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s6tFUHqnAcENKhn3pLqnJyw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D6tFUHqnAcENKhn3pLqnJyw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D92.877594%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192
That's the Feltham example mentioned telstarbox above. Interestingly I think this was more to do with the need to lengthen the platforms for the new 10 car trains as well as the desire to remove the level crossing for track safety and journey times. Unfortunately I am not sure how they will solve the level crossings between Staines and Egham (2), Egham and Virginia Water (2) or the one on the A30 at Sunningdale. They are removing one of the 3 between Bracknell and Wokingham but I haven't seen any plans for the other two yet.
The ones further into London between Richmond and Barnes must be a real pig for the residents as there are so many trains on the line they are probably closed more than they are open.
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The ones further into London between Richmond and Barnes must be a real pig for the residents as there are so many trains on the line they are probably closed more than they are open.
Horton Rd in Gloucester is like that. Five tracks forming a Y-shaped junction with the station just a mile to the west, where all the tracks join. I've been waiting there for ten minutes or more at a time. (In fact I thought they'd closed this and built a footbridge but streetview shows it still open.) https://goo.gl/maps/SLLTcw86rAVntUvT6
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The ones further into London between Richmond and Barnes must be a real pig for the residents as there are so many trains on the line they are probably closed more than they are open.
They always were! I lived there forty years ago and Mortlake was a strangely isolated place - nothing of note there anyway except for the largest Watneys brewery in London (now defunct). Even then the line was at capacity during rush hour. Fortunately there were plenty of footbridges.
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Horton Rd in Gloucester is like that. Five tracks forming a Y-shaped junction with the station just a mile to the west, where all the tracks join. I've been waiting there for ten minutes or more at a time. (In fact I thought they'd closed this and built a footbridge but streetview shows it still open.) https://goo.gl/maps/SLLTcw86rAVntUvT6
I tried it one - never again. Trains go into Gloucester station, stop and reverse out again: I'm sure the level crossing stays closed for the whole manoevre.
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That one seems to have been built as a subway/overbridge when the railway was built
Yes, that seems quite likely.
From the map view, it looks obvious that the road predated the railway line, but if there ever was a level crossing, there's no visible evidence remaining.
An interesting fellow - escaped from Colditz and made it back to the UK after walking to Gibraltar, then joined the Nuremberg trials and as a fluent German speaker was in charge of delivering the indictments.
I read his Colditz books as a teen (early 80s), and on trying to find out more about what had become of him, was shocked to discover that he'd got himself blown up by the IRA. That sucks.
I think it was the INLA?
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Or was it the MPLA?
Or the UDA?
Or the IRA?
I thought it was the UK.
[“Piss off, Rotten, you sell-out!” – Ed.]
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There are a surprising number still across mainlines in the SW. One I regularly use is open to all vehicles, but until recently you couldn't gpx across it.
The one across six tracks by Exeter St David's is the most impressive.
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Apparently there is a manually operated LC across seven tracks somewhere in Norfolk. Four tracks of ECML and three of another line running alongside. There is a slight gap between the two and in the past it used to be two separate crossings – supposedly the crossing operator used to leave people stranded there if they annoyed him.
Ed: Found a video of what is probably the same one. Six tracks not seven and it's in Cambridgeshire.
https://youtu.be/YfYWKEroQZE
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I think it was the INLA?
Probably, I don't remember. One of those republican groups anyway. Unless you believe the conspiracy theories...
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I think it was the INLA?
Probably, I don't remember. One of those republican groups anyway. Unless you believe the conspiracy theories...
Blimey! I'd forgotten about most of that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airey_Neave#Conspiracy_theories
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Not a level crossing, but a road cut in half by the A419 dualling in the mid-90s. It is a PITA if you're on a bike and want to get to Driffield from South Cerney, requiring either a long detour or a very hairy crossing on foot, a few hundred yards away where there is a joke footpath.
The funny thing is that no-one has been arsed to change the road sign. In 25 years.
Northmoor Ln
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ihrCR8Z7CXgBfaUa6
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Apparently there is a manually operated LC across seven tracks somewhere in Norfolk. Four tracks of ECML and three of another line running alongside. There is a slight gap between the two and in the past it used to be two separate crossings – supposedly the crossing operator used to leave people stranded there if they annoyed him.
Ed: Found a video of what is probably the same one. Six tracks not seven and it's in Cambridgeshire.
https://youtu.be/YfYWKEroQZE
It may be this one a bit further E, you ring a bell and wait for someone (only 5 lanes (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.6308288,-0.3187156,3a,75y,328.74h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbDWg5U1qDKEHxFJmxXOC8w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)):
I reckon I waited about 10 mins with nothing happening so assumed if the gap needed to be at least 10 mins then I could dawdle across and savour the experience. Crossing keeper was not amused.
Also on ECML further towards NW Pbo, this one looks fun (steps (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.6176943,-0.2966011,3a,75y,24.69h,87.2t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sH0FQ70Rw4yqaytUcmi6pnA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DH0FQ70Rw4yqaytUcmi6pnA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D335.45782%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192))
In the past I had fun on a bit further up the line - road closed to traffic, except cyclists, it said. (by Maxey cut)
But the level X was shut fast and no amount of waiting etc.
Eventually I rang the remote keeper and explained.
We'll open it up for you after the next train they said, which they duly did.
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As soon as you get off the roads and onto the droves and bridleways round here you soon come across user operated level crossings. I can also think of at least two manually operated crossing gates with a little man coming out to move them, one in Littleport and another at Shippea Hill which is also a request only stop.
When I'm just heading out at random I can often come across a drove that ends at a drainage ditch and carries on on the other side
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Also on ECML further towards NW Pbo, this one looks fun (steps (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.6176943,-0.2966011,3a,75y,24.69h,87.2t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sH0FQ70Rw4yqaytUcmi6pnA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DH0FQ70Rw4yqaytUcmi6pnA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D335.45782%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192))
Standard UK cycle route. >:( Trikes not allowed, tourers, shoppers and kids not welcome.
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Not a level crossing, but a road cut in half by the A419 dualling in the mid-90s. It is a PITA if you're on a bike and want to get to Driffield from South Cerney, requiring either a long detour or a very hairy crossing on foot, a few hundred yards away where there is a joke footpath.
The funny thing is that no-one has been arsed to change the road sign. In 25 years.
Northmoor Ln
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ihrCR8Z7CXgBfaUa6
And it wouldn't even be that hard to at least go some way to resolving the disconnect.
(https://i.ibb.co/jrJHRkq/image.png) (https://ibb.co/4V1JdRC)
(https://i.ibb.co/tZNDCDy/image.png) (https://ibb.co/XydtJtm)
(https://i.ibb.co/tQnvTnq/image.png) (https://ibb.co/VJbzcbg)
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Not a level crossing, but a road cut in half by the A419 dualling in the mid-90s. It is a PITA if you're on a bike and want to get to Driffield from South Cerney, requiring either a long detour or a very hairy crossing on foot, a few hundred yards away where there is a joke footpath.
The funny thing is that no-one has been arsed to change the road sign. In 25 years.
Northmoor Ln
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ihrCR8Z7CXgBfaUa6
And it wouldn't even be that hard to at least go some way to resolving the disconnect.
(https://i.ibb.co/jrJHRkq/image.png) (https://ibb.co/4V1JdRC)
(https://i.ibb.co/tZNDCDy/image.png) (https://ibb.co/XydtJtm)
(https://i.ibb.co/tQnvTnq/image.png) (https://ibb.co/VJbzcbg)
At least that one only affects you if you want to go from South Cerney to Driffield - if you want to go anywhere beyond it's shorter and quicker to take the turning at the top of the map (Driffield is a bit of a dead end). The worse one on that road is at Cricklade - the only way to cross the dual carriageway without getting on it is via an obscure and almost unrideable footpath. Quite what the planners were thinking of there I don't know, presumably they thought that no-one would ever want to go to Cricklade except by car (and even that's awkward). Who knows?
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Two ways of crossing the A419 at or near Cricklade that are doable by bike. One is the path visible here going round the back of "North Meadow Livery" then twisting steeply up to emerge alongside the slip road, visible here:
https://goo.gl/maps/UKdY1hM41KPmF7w39
I presume this is the "obscure and almost unrideable footpath" referred to.
The other one is even further out of town, and probably even more obscure, down what looks like a farm track, but is in fact a road, here:
https://goo.gl/maps/REKEjmdNCZy55tVT7
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Two ways of crossing the A419 at or near Cricklade that are doable by bike. One is the path visible here going round the back of "North Meadow Livery" then twisting steeply up to emerge alongside the slip road, visible here:
https://goo.gl/maps/UKdY1hM41KPmF7w39
I presume this is the "obscure and almost unrideable footpath" referred to.
The other one is even further out of town, and probably even more obscure, down what looks like a farm track, but is in fact a road, here:
https://goo.gl/maps/REKEjmdNCZy55tVT7
It was indeed the first I meant - unfortunately the aerial view doesn't tell you anything about the surface quality. I didn't know about the second - thanks for the tip - but it's really only sensible for going between Cricklade and Latton, and were I going to Latton I wouldn't go through Cricklade.
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It's a couple of years since I used either of those and I don't remember the surface quality, but I expect the first in particular is probably more suited to walking than riding.
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The suggested (unbuilt) route to Driffield would use a 70mph one-way slip road, which could be a bit hairy.
The environmental impact assessment is still available online. They acknowledge that cyclist safety is worse at this point than before. They also state that only ONE property (and that owned by the DfT anyway!) was eligible for noise mitigation measures. What they didn't tell locals beforehand is that the road is, unusually for the UK, surfaced in concrete on its way through the entire Cotswold Water Park, and the tyre roar can be heard from China.
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Two ways of crossing the A419 at or near Cricklade that are doable by bike. One is the path visible here going round the back of "North Meadow Livery" then twisting steeply up to emerge alongside the slip road, visible here:
https://goo.gl/maps/UKdY1hM41KPmF7w39
I presume this is the "obscure and almost unrideable footpath" referred to.
The other one is even further out of town, and probably even more obscure, down what looks like a farm track, but is in fact a road, here:
https://goo.gl/maps/REKEjmdNCZy55tVT7
It was indeed the first I meant - unfortunately the aerial view doesn't tell you anything about the surface quality. I didn't know about the second - thanks for the tip - but it's really only sensible for going between Cricklade and Latton, and were I going to Latton I wouldn't go through Cricklade.
IMO the biggest boondoggle of the lot is that the Roman Road between Cricklade and East Swindon is subsumed by the A419. The blue dots are crying out for a high quality cycle route.
(https://i.ibb.co/Hg4TmYH/image.png) (https://ibb.co/JktjX2s)
Especially if you, like me, find appeal in riding the route of Roman Roads!
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Cyclists: there is no safe direct route from Swindon to Cricklade
DfT: what do you mean? You can legally use that roaring pseudo-motorway.
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Last time I passed, they’d blocked off the junction at Crosslanes Farm, so NCR 45 for the WIN!
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Cyclists: there is no safe direct route from Swindon to Cricklade
DfT: what do you mean? You can legally use that roaring pseudo-motorway.
It's very similar to a local section of the A303. Roman Road, roaring trunk road...
(https://i.ibb.co/HgDfFBW/image.png) (https://ibb.co/2K71nWD)
And a nice sign...
(https://dgtzuqphqg23d.cloudfront.net/frD0wCkTBo-IYlBCYKh9OjVKxz5nZ_9IFoNPsqgC860-512x384.jpg)
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Last time I passed, they’d blocked off the junction at Crosslanes Farm, so NCR 45 for the WIN!
IME the off-road bits of NCN45 are largely impassable between Hayes Knoll and Ciren.