Consecutive Closure at Ingatestone Level Crossing, Essex

Ingatestone Level Crossing, Ingatestone, Essex on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML).
Location: Station Lane, Ingatestone
Date Filmed: 19-02-2019
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Nearest Station: Ingatestone
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Trains:
Class 321 (Greater Anglia)
Class 321 (Greater Anglia)
Class 321 (Greater Anglia)
~
Class 321 (Greater Anglia)
Class 321 (Greater Anglia)
This crossing was visited during the morning peak (rush hour) so there was many train movements. As a result, the level crossing was frequently raised and lowered in quick succession. The crossing alarms were really quiet and one of the alarms was faulty (only producing one tone instead of the usual two tones), although it could barely be heard.
Thanks For Watching!

[@bluemomo65]

Nice video! Liked 👍👍👍

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Thank you! 👍

[@maimadha]

Great video

[@GracesGarden80]

Great to see successive closures! Nice to see variety in the rolling stock and liveries. Excellent work guys! 😊

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Thanks very much! 😁 I aim to make my content as varied as possible 👍

[@EastAngliaLevelCrossingsUK]

I was gonna take a train here yesterday but I didn't. Because half the Greater Anglia services are messed up. Trains couldn't go to Stanstead Airport, Cambridge or Hertford East. So places like Sawbridgeworth were having bus replacements. The only services running yesterday were the full Braintree Branch Line, Thurrock, and the Crouch Valley Line. Funny thing I noticed was Manningtree would only close every - - :59 for trains to Harwich!

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Oh no, sounds like planned engineering works in the area. They're always a pain, forcing you to plan ahead.

[@EastAngliaLevelCrossingsUK]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel it's rather annoying that there's way too many buses around. Basically can't travel

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

@EastAngliaLC_UK Yeah, if you want a full service including peak trains, you have to film on weekdays which isn't easy for a lot of people. Even then you can't predict delays, incidents and strikes.

[@EastAngliaLevelCrossingsUK]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel I'm way too busy on weekdays, unless I have some free time, which I do in February, do that's why I'm going up north. Essex and Kent are two awkward places and I don't fancy paying tolls. Would visit Gillingham, Teynham, East Farleigh and Canterbury if I could

[@barrythedieselelectricstea5217]

great catch👍 five trains in one video that's a very busy line

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Thanks! It was morning rush hour and it was indeed very busy 😎 Trains every couple of minutes!

[@b3n.bp_]

😁😁🐷nice video!

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Thanks! 😁👍

[@gaborracz1882]

There are no alarms! Wow.

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

There are actually alarms here believe it or not, they are just really really quiet

[@gaborracz1882]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel Well, I hope the maintenance is going to fix them.

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

I don't know if they're suppose to be that quiet, however there is a signalman in a signal box watching over the crossing 24/7 so the crossing isn't activated and lowered unless it's clear of vehicles and pedestrians

[@gaborracz1882]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel Aha. I understand.

[@ElectraProductions225]

Nice! Tbh it would make more sense if the barriers stayed down

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Thanks! I think a pedestrian was waiting, so the signalman raised the barriers to save them waiting for 2 more trains.

[@the1gip]

That's got to be the shortest length of time I've ever seen a barrier open for. Pointless and potentially dangerous!

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

I've filmed a gap even shorter than that recently, which was even more pointless. I believe a pedestrian was waiting and, since the signalman is directly next to this crossing, the barriers were raised briefly to save them waiting for two more trains.

[@the1gip]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel That doesn't sound pointless at all then (as long as it was safe)! Is that in one of your uploaded videos?

[@grassytramtracks]

There was a queue building up, it was to save people having to water for 2 more trains to go. The level crossing is in the view of the signalbox and the train can only go with the OK that the crossing is clear

[@delta.australia]

There's no alarm!

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

There is, two of them, they're just very quiet

[@delta.australia]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel okay 👍

[@pigeonsandtrafficlights8999]

My birthday is in July 18 Thursday

[@AdventuresByRail377]

Nice video. I'm interested in doing a similar thing. Do you just drive around to the crossings and park up nearby or do u get the train to the nearest station and walk

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Thanks! 😎 Before I started driving in 2018, I used to get the train to stations, and walk from stations to crossings. Now though, during spare time, I drive to crossings, park beside or somewhere suitable, and film 😊

[@AdventuresByRail377]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel great. Thanks!

[@AdventuresByRail377]

And where do you find the technical information about the crossings

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Most I've learnt from online and working out how it all works, but I'm not an expert. Wikipedia on UK level crossings is a good place to learn about all the different types of crossings that exist 👍

[@AdventuresByRail377]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel Cool thanks. And I take it you use your phone?

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

That was a little bit pointless that raise in between! The barriers may as well have stayed down unless it was a slight mishap with the track circuits triggering the crossing's auto-raise! Another thing I'm confused about is why would there be alarms here if they're all but inaudible? The barriers completely drown the sound out even if you're stood right underneath the alarms here! Suppose it's all for the benefit of the cottage right next to one of the alarms I guess. Ingatestone's a lovely location with a brilliant level crossing to film as it's up and down so much on the Great Eastern Main Line - Fab video, UKLCC!!! 👍😁 Also to correct the description, both alarms work well! It's just the alarm which can just about be heard is very fast unless it was different on the day you was there!

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Thanks mate 👍 One of the alarms (one on the light I was standing by) is faulty with a one tone sound, and yeah the other alarm is pretty quick. The presence of a signalman here is probably the reason for the very quiet alarms. Someone watching over this crossing all the time means it's very unlikely a pedestrian would get trapped. Pretty sure a pedestrian was waiting to cross so the signalman probably manually raised this crossing as it would've stayed down if on Auto

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel Makes a bit more sense now, and the alarm you're describing was working well when I went in May - must've just been a tempermental fault with it 🤔

[@D.Salter]

Nice! Just a quick question, What got you into this?

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

Thanks! Being honest, I'm not too sure why I've had a passion for level crossings and the railways. Probably because I just enjoy watching the trains and the different level crossings are just cool. My interest began at a very young age and I've grown up developing it into a hobby.

[@nathanwilliams9169]

Is there alarm on this who is control the crossing how does signalman know when lower the crossing

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

There is alarms on this crossing but they're very quiet. The signalman is in the adjacent signal box, and has a board displaying the locations of trains along a section of the line

[@cardboard_is_not_edible]

Successive closure? Does it never close?

[@UKLevelCrossingsChannel]

What I mean by a 'successive' is a closure followed by another closure almost immediately after. It refers to the very short period between a crossing being raised and lowering again

[@cardboard_is_not_edible]

@@UKLevelCrossingsChannel Ah, i see.