Manually operated crossings

[RandomRailways]

It was claimed the other day by traincrew that Pantyffynon on the Heart of Wales / Central Wales line is the last manually operated gated crossing in the UK, (apart from UWC's of course)
Anyone know of any others?

Incidentally it still has a GWR stamped gate locking mechanism on one gate (BRW on the other)

 

[andrew bell]

I no Brundall is due to be changed to an automatic crossing, but I'm sure its still a manual crossing

 

[RandomRailways]

Indeed it is, thanks. If you look on Google Street view and 'stand' on the crossing there's the crossing keeper, having just operated the gates!

 

[Bald Rick]

There’s plenty. All of those between Norwich and Yarmouth / Lowestoft are being automated in the coming months, however there will still be plenty of others.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I did note while in Spain recently that even the tiniest of rural crossings were fitted with lights and barriers. This included crossings where the "road" appeared to be nothing more than a country track, with bare earth surface and grass growing down the middle. The exact sort of crossing that on the GB network would likely be a user-worked occupation crossing. Presumably these cost a fair bit to install, but whether this would be funded by the land owner or the railway is another matter. Considering the incidents that tend to take place on such crossings here, it surprised me that a country like Spain with a rather dysfunctional economy (though this was Catalonia, which is more prosperous) had such a level of equipment at such minor crossings. And this on a rural route with only a handful of services per day.

 

[jopsuk]

Still got one at Elsenham in Essex- which is busy. Between 0800 and 0900 there's four trains stopping at the station and five passing (at 80mph I think?) - 149 passenger services in total on eg Friday, plus 6 ECS, and paths for 10 freight

 

[GW43125]

Are there still a few on the Maidstone West line or have they gone now?

 

[Revilo]

Tal-y-cafn on the Blaenau Ffestiniog branch

 

[furnessvale]

Norbury Hollow between Hazel Grove and Middlewood.

 

[Midnight Sun]

Stonea and Whittlesey are stil manually operated, In the case of Stonea this has cars racing across at 100mph plus.

 

[The Planner]

Fine Lane and Roddige Lane on the Lichfield Wichnor line, Google Street View even has the attendant doing the gates at Roddige Lane.

 

[dwaynedibleyuk]

Uffington, Wyfordby and Wymondham on the Syston to Peterborough are manual. As is Swinderby SB on the Newark to Lincoln. I'm sure there are some on the North Staffs too, Hilton atleast

 

[Parallel]

Dyffryn Ardudwy has a member of network rail staff supervising the crossing gates in a portacabin on the old second platform that’s no longer in use.

 

[robvulpes]

Two at Kirksanton north of Barrow in Furness on the Cumbrian Coast Line (A5093), and another on the same line further north at Saltcoats (minor road). The Kirksanton ones have ground frame-worked home and distant signals, Saltcoats is unsignalled and usually closed against the road - crossing keeper has to seek signaller's permission (Drigg and Bootle) to open to road traffic.

 

[Llanigraham]

Dyffryn Ardudwy has a member of network rail staff supervising the crossing gates in a portacabin on the old second platform that’s no longer in use.

But officially they don't operate the gates, only ensure that they are closed after use.
(It was one of the sites I was offered after being injured at work, but was too far from home to be viable)

 

[Metal_gee_man]

Chartham and Wye in Kent (Ashford to Ramsgate line) have 6tph off peak passing over them 2tph off peak are high speed Javelins!
Roughly 9tph in Peak with 4tph high speed Javelins!

 

[SilentGrade]

I'm sure there are some on the North Staffs too, Hilton atleast

Scropton too

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

Llanfairpwll and Ty Croes on Anglesey are both manual crossings.


I recently applied to be a crossing keeper at Ty Croes.

 

[ACBest]

Grassthorpe on the ECML is another.

 

[Ploughman]

Common Rd on the York - Scarborough is still manually operated, closed to road traffic in normal position.

However rarer still is a Train man operated gate.
Cracoe on the Rylstone Quarry line is the nearest to me that I can think of.

 

[LWB]

I obviously misunderstand the OP because my son is signed out for no end of them and the boxes where appropriate. Cumbria is full of them surely eg Bootle and that odd thing at foxfield

 

[Mark J]

Isn't Appleford on the Cherwell Valley Line, a manually operated crossing?

 

[Aictos]

There’s plenty. All of those between Norwich and Yarmouth / Lowestoft are being automated in the coming months, however there will still be plenty of others.

Indeed you still have one just south of Helpston in the Peterborough area which is still manually operated.

As I remember you had to press the door bell to get the crossing keeper's attention as he would open the first gate let you drive though then close that gate then open the second gate to let you exit the crossing then close it behind you.

As a side note, there use to be a number of manual crossings north of Peterborough, one such crossing got decommissioned when they electrified the ECML and they replaced it with a foot bridge so what was a 2 minute drive ended up being a 20 to 30 minute drive depending on traffic

So yes there's plenty of them left in the UK.

 

[Kneedown]

Indeed you still have one just south of Helpston in the Peterborough area which is still manually operated.

Woodcroft!

 

[Aictos]

Woodcroft!

Are your ears burning? Was just going to say as a guess you probably would have known that!

Which was the one just to the south of that one then that used to be just north of Werrington Junction until they blocked off road access and replaced it with a footbridge?

I remember cycling over that and having to wait for the crossing keeper to open the gate to let me though.

 

[Kneedown]

Are your ears burning? Was just going to say as a guess you probably would have known that!

Which was the one just to the south of that one then that used to be just north of Werrington Junction until they blocked off road access and replaced it with a footbridge?

I remember cycling over that and having to wait for the crossing keeper to open the gate to let me though.

That one was Marholm IIRC!

 

[Henbury Loop]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the delightful St Mary's crossing in Gloucestershire.....

 

[bramling]

Isn't Appleford on the Cherwell Valley Line, a manually operated crossing?

It was until some point in the last decade or two, but is no longer.

 

[jnjkerbin]

Are there still a few on the Maidstone West line or have they gone now?

I believe East Farleigh still is.

 

[a_c_skinner]

There is one on the ECML at Tweedmouth, actually Spittal I think. There is a crossing keeper and a hut.