Accommodation Crossing fitted with CCTV

[Belperpete]

On a recent trip along the Cambrian Coast, I noticed one of the accommodation crossings appears to have been fitted with CCTV. It looks to be a fairly recent installation, judging by how shiny and clean everything was. It was a crossing leading to a farmstead on the estuary near Penrhyndeudraeth, in the middle of the Harlech - Porthmadog single-line section.

Which got me to thinking: who monitors this CCTV, and when and why? Surely the Mach signallers can't be expected to check it every time they signal a train into that section? Is it provided in case there is an incident, so that they can check back and see who left the gates open? Or is it a deterrent to try and enforce correct crossing use ("big brother is watching you")?

In the past, providing CCTV monitoring at such a rural location would have been expensive: it would have required a power supply from the local electricity board, and a telecom cable link from BT or BRT to transmit the pictures. But nowadays, with a solar/battery power-supply and a mobile internet link, such installations can be self-contained. Even so, a couple of cameras transmitting pictures continuously must eat up quite a few Gb of data?

Have any other accommodation/user-worked crossings on Network Rail been fitted with CCTV?

 

[Elecman]

Club Lane Crossing on the Preston Ormskirk line has had cctv for several years

 

[driver9000]

Club Lane Crossing on the Preston Ormskirk line has had cctv for several years

Parkers crossing on the same line also had CCTV installed around 15 years ago due to constant daily misuse.

 

[norbitonflyer]

In the past, providing CCTV monitoring at such a rural location would have been expensive: it would have required a power supply from the local electricity board, and a telecom cable link from BT or BRT to transmit the pictures. But nowadays, with a solar/battery power-supply and a mobile internet link, such installations can be self-contained. Even so, a couple of cameras transmitting pictures continuously must eat up quite a few Gb of data?

Have any other accommodation/user-worked crossings on Network Rail been fitted with CCTV?

probably a faily cheap add-on if power and comms are already needed for the phones

 

[Belperpete]

Parkers crossing on the same line also had CCTV installed around 15 years ago due to constant daily misuse.

Who monitors the CCTV for the crossings on the Preston Ormskirk line? Is it only looked at if there is an incident?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Apr 2026 ==

probably a faily cheap add-on if power and comms are already needed for the phones

Many of the occupation crossings on the Cambrian gained phones a couple of years ago. I doubt if the CCTV would be able to piggy-back on their comms links, if they are mobile-based. But no great hardship for the CCTV to have its own mobile-based link. There seemed to be a new solar grid associated with the new CCTV installation.

 

[endofthetunnel]

Cameras fitted for monitoring and fault finding at crossings are now quite common. This type are not used for signallers monitoring crossings and clearing signals as these must be proper closed circuit cameras with fail safes etc.

The way they work depends on their intention. For example aome will immediately send footage after an ‘activation’ to a trespass team or the level crossing manager, if they are associated with misuse. Some are fitted for monitoring in general, for just logging the amount or variety of use, and watched back periodically. Some for example at automatic crossings or Obstacle Detectors will just constantly record, so they can be checked by staff on site if there are failures of the crossing but otherwise just go unchecked.

 

[Belperpete]

Cameras fitted for monitoring and fault finding at crossings are now quite common. This type are not used for signallers monitoring crossings and clearing signals as these must be proper closed circuit cameras with fail safes etc.

The way they work depends on their intention. For example aome will immediately send footage after an ‘activation’ to a trespass team or the level crossing manager, if they are associated with misuse. Some are fitted for monitoring in general, for just logging the amount or variety of use, and watched back periodically. Some for example at automatic crossings or Obstacle Detectors will just constantly record, so they can be checked by staff on site if there are failures of the crossing but otherwise just go unchecked.

Thanks for the reply, but what do you mean by an 'activation'? At a simple occupation crossing, such as the one in the op, what would activate the CCTV? How would misuse be detected?

 

[endofthetunnel]

Thanks for the reply, but what do you mean by an 'activation'? At a simple occupation crossing, such as the one in the op, what would activate the CCTV? How would misuse be detected?

Well, bearing in mind it’s a public forum - Some can be set up with motion detection and ‘activate’ only when motion is detected, sending an alert to whoever is monitoring. This tends to be after suspected misuse such as an accommodation crossing being used by other non authorised people, or a closed level crossing still being accessed, etc.

 

[Belperpete]

Well, bearing in mind it’s a public forum - Some can be set up with motion detection and ‘activate’ only when motion is detected, sending an alert to whoever is monitoring. This tends to be after suspected misuse such as an accommodation crossing being used by other non authorised people, or a closed level crossing still being accessed, etc.

Ah, I did wonder at the time if one of the "cameras" might be a motion detector. Thanks.

 

[Annetts key]

Ah, I did wonder at the time if one of the "cameras" might be a motion detector. Thanks.

You don't always need a separate motion detection sensor system with modern CCTV systems, as software motion detection can be used. I have a cheap CCTV system at home that does this that is far from new (I've had it for over five years).

To answer some questions from other members about the telephone / railway telecommunications at occupation / accommodation crossings.

About the level crossing telephones, there is not a one size fits all/ everything. On the area that I used to maintain, the most common was a standard weather resistant CB telephone (but obviously without a dial/keypad) on each side of the line, fed via a traditional telecommunications cable system to the signal box / PSB.

But in some locations instead rather than a railway telecommunications cable, the telephones would be connected to BT infrastructure. Then there was a link from BT to railway telecommunications equipment at the signal box / PSB or relevant railway equipment room/building.

At some crossings "supervised" by older signal boxes, the telephones may be magneto types that have their own battery.

Either way, the existing old telecommunications cable network or the BT link would unlikely he suitable for a continuous traditional CCTV transmission system, as these analogue CCTV systems need a repeater/amplifier at specified distances.

Of course, if digital systems are used, then no doubt BT may be able in many locations to provide a suitable connection system.

Of course, if money is available, now, the railway would run a fibre-optic cable rather than a copper cable, with a suitable rack of electronic communications equipment in a location cabinet or equivalent building.

 

[AMD]

They're everywhere! I noticed that even the access path to the platform at Corrour, over the engineers loop, has a camera now when I was up there recently.

 

[TransportHub]

Of course, if money is available, now, the railway would run a fibre-optic cable rather than a copper cable, with a suitable rack of electronic communications equipment in a location cabinet or equivalent building.

That's exactly what TfW Ffeibr have done on the CVL, then selling access to the cables to bring back some money to the company

ffeibr delivers first commercial contract

Ffeibr, Wales’ newest high-speed internet network, has delivered its first commercial fibre connectivity contract for Cloud Centres Networks.

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