Pedestrian lights finally working & new alarms at Canterbury (St. Stephens) Level Crossing, Kent

Date filmed: 19/10/2023
Videos filmed at: 13:12 | 13:19 | 13:32
Route: Ashford to Ramsgate Line
- Canterbury West is the closest station
Crossing type: Manually Controlled Barrier crossing with CCTV (MCB-CCTV)
Location: St. Stephen's Road, Canterbury
Trains featured:
Lowering 1 (0:00):
375 819 & 375 624 (Southeastern) - 0:50
2R30 London Charing Cross ➡ Ramsgate | On-time
-
Lowering 2 (1:19):
395 007 (Southeastern) - 2:53
1J37 Margate ➡ St. Pancras International | On-time
-
Lowering 3 (3:16)
1) 2 Class 375s (Southeastern) - 4:00
2W44 Ramsgate ➡ London Charing Cross | On-time
2) 395 021 (Southeastern) - 4:27
1J32 St. Pancras International ➡ Margate
One of two busy level crossings located in the city of Canterbury, Kent, either side of Canterbury West station on the Ashford to Ramsgate Line. Since my previous visit to this level crossing in January, the four LED pedestrian lights here have finally been commissioned and are operational after sitting there bagged up for around a whole year. The level crossing as a whole has also had a relative over-haul, as the bells have (sadly) been replaced by four increasingly-common and same-sounding E2S 'Apello' alarms, there are new 'Keep Crossing Clear' signs here, and the exit-side barriers now have a two-second time gap separating them lowering with the first pair being lowered. It very much behaves like a fully-renewed crossing now, minus the barriers, road traffic lights and supporting masts being re-used. It's still controlled from just around the corner at the signal box above the tracks through Canterbury West Station. You can't argue some form of new alarm was needed here, though, as only one bell used to work. The level crossing can be seen cycling three times in this video for four different passenger services running between London and Thanet.
Train details sourced from:
Real Time Trains: www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sear...
Open Train Times: www.opentraintimes.com/maps
Traksy: traksy.uk/live
Thanks for watching!

[@TheosTrainsWalesOfficial]

Oh wait, they've re-done the whole crossing. Well, it was a bit expected, but I'm slightly surprised they got rid of the bells. Mind you, one of them was broken anyway, so I'm assuming they'll give Southampton Mount Pleasant LC the same upgrade. But hey, they re-used the same barriers and wigwags though.

[@NWLevelCrossings]

Excellent Video! 👍🏻 Like the new E2s alarms but liked the bells more.

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you very much! The E2S alarms kill this crossing in my opinion though. At least they're nice and loud - an improvement over only one working bell!

[@SouthWestCrossingsUK]

No!!!! I miss the bells!!! I hate it!!! Oh well, at least the pedestrian lights works and great video👍

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

It is such a loss. I was pretty annoyed when I found out they'd not only replaced the alarms but with Appello's! It's a pretty uninteresting crossing now if you ask me, but nice to see pedestrian lights working.

[@JPLCUK]

@@SouthEastLevelCrossings it would be nice if it had Clifford and snell yodalarms sounding like Wateringbury

[@NorthWestLevelCrossingsChannel]

Excellent video as usual 👍

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks!

[@JPLCUK]

Nice one

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks!

[@TheRealTrains806UK]

Wow! It finally got pedestrian lights and a new alarm! Awesome video!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks very much!

[@TheRealTrains806UK]

No problem

[@keanubrando3228]

Nice video crossing

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks very much!

[@keanubrando3228]

@@SouthEastLevelCrossings you welcome

[@freebrickproductions]

Great video! Shame they replaced the bells there because the relay case was replaced. Kind of reminds me of how, at 32nd Street in Bessemer, AL, NS replaced a nice sounding pair of Safetran mechanical bells at that crossing, due to their relay case there being replaced. The bells themselves worked fine and would've worked well on the new case, but the manager of the signal maintainers in the Birmingham area at the time was big on modernizing things, and demanded they be replaced as part of the relay case replacement project.

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you very much! Indeed it is a shame, but it does make sense if the controller logic was overhauled (which seems like what's happened here)

[@SpainTrafficLights]

Nice video! I haven't seen many of this pedestrian lights in UK level crossings, but they are pretty cool.

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you! There are quite a few here that have these 'pedestrian lights', mostly in busier areas.

[@JOP_O8]

Tbh, they should’ve have taken the bells out imo

[@Tjcarrillo1999]

Hi I like your video

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you!

[@EastAngliaLevelCrossingsUK]

They removed the bells...no

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Such a shame!

[@RonnDon]

Shame they ruined this level crossing with the rather annoying E2S alarms. Nice video either way!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Tell me about it! Thanks! 👍

[@BRLevelCrossingsAndMoreUK]

Completely ruined although I do like E2S alarms I’m going to miss the bells

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Definitely tbh. The plus is the alarm sound here is much more audible now, though

[@BRLevelCrossingsAndMoreUK]

@@SouthEastLevelCrossingsyeah it’s definitely a lot more ‘alarming’ than the bells

[@TudorCrossings]

This is a loss.....

[@TheosTrainsWalesOfficial]

Yeah, I know. But the bells were pretty much f**ked anyway, so it was an upgraded needed.

[@JPLCUK]

​@@TheosTrainsWalesOfficialthere was nothing wrong with them

[@SouthWestCrossingsUK]

@@TheosTrainsWalesOfficial it think the bells where perfect. I don't think there was anything wrong with them

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

It is such a loss. Mind you, one bell was completely broken, but the other one was completely fine...

[@TudorCrossings]

Did St Dunstan's get any changes?

[@DPTrains]

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

I know! Such a shame.