Three Level Crossings on the Same Stretch of Road - Queen Adelaide Level Crossings, Cambridgeshire

Date filmed: 28/07/2020
This is Queen Adelaide, just to the north east of Ely. There are three half barrier level crossings within only half a mile of each other on the same stretch of road here, making this the only place in the UK to have three different level crossings so close together, with two directly opposite of each other (something that can only be seen in a handful of UK locations) and another located just to the east of a humped bridge over the River Great Ouse, which can disrupt your view of the level crossings on the other side of it. This video aims to show you what it's like at this location, as well as show you each individual level crossing in operation with different trains passing over them. Apologies about the wind noise.
All three level crossings are fairly identical in terms of set-up, and they all have LED wigwags and quiet alarms. They are located just to the north of Ely North Junction, where three lines each branch off towards different destinations from the single very busy bi-directional line connecting it with Ely Station, meaning that there's one level crossing for each line. From here, trains head to or from Peterborough, King's Lynn, or Norwich. A freight loop just to the west of here which joins the Ely to Peterborough Line does not have a level crossing, and instead, the road crosses it via another bridge around a quarter of a mile west of the westernmost level crossing.
Level crossing descriptions from west to east are as follows:
Queen Adelaide (Peterborough Line) Level Crossing, Queen Adelaide, Cambridgeshire
Route: Ely to Peterborough Line
Between Ely North Junction and Ely West Junction
Location: B1382 Ely Road, Queen Adelaide
Trains:
Lowering 1: Class 170s (Cross Country)
Lowering 2: Class 66 (DB Cargo UK) "Maritime Intermodal Four"
The westernmost level crossing of the three has a rather odd-sounding high-pitched alarm as can be heard. This is the busiest of the three on the busy Ely to Peterborough Line.
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Queen Adelaide (King's Lynn Line) Level Crossing, Queen Adelaide, Cambridgeshire
Route: The Fen Line
Between Ely North Junction and Littleport Station
Location: B1382 Ely Road, Queen Adelaide
Trains: Class 387 (Great Northern)
This is the middle level crossing of the three, and it's the least-used in terms of trains, and lowers only two times an hour most of the time, as to allow the hourly service to and from King's Lynn to pass.
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Queen Adelaide (Norwich Line) Level Crossing, Queen Adelaide, Cambridgeshire
Route: The Breckland Line (Ely to Norwich)
Between Ely North Junction and Shippea Hill Stations
Location: B1382, Queen Adelaide
Trains: Class 755 (Greater Anglia)
This is the most angled level crossing of the three, since the road crosses the Ely to Norwich Line at quite an angle. This is also the easternmost level crossing of the three, and the one which is visibly separated from the other two by the humped bridge over the River Great Ouse. It typically sees around four trains per hour.
If you have any relevant and appropriate questions, feel free to put them in the comments!
Thanks for watching!

[@CloseToTheEdge89]

I used to live there. In a Terrace house right next to the Peterborough line. You get pretty used to the trains. Although my bed used to bounce up and down at night when freight trains went passed lol. You could hear them getting closer and closer. There's also a Railway bridge where there's a freight loop to connect all the North lines. When this was used there's loud squeeling from the wheels as it's so tight.

[@amandasmith3303]

Bad enough having to cross one-but three?My worst nightmare but a dream for you enthusiast's!

[@ABTrainsYT]

Probably among the best rail fanning spot, not to mention great for exercising

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Absolutely. Such a great location.

[@send2gl]

Know that section of road fairly well. Have been trapped between two crossings before. You mentioned something about a reason for half barriers, didnt quite understand that.

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

When I mentioned about the half barriers, I was only referring to how the line splits into three, and just highlighting how there is one for each line.

[@trainstrainstrains40]

Great video! 😁 Very unusual! Never seen anything like it!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks a lot! It certainly is very unique

[@samuelfellows6923]

🫢 - quite a smoky class 66 “shed” dieseling past

[@craigdoig9486]

Great video very busy lines into Ely

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks! Yes the line connecting Ely Station with Ely North Junction is veru busy with three lines merging into one!

[@catperson5]

I’ve had dreams of a similar setup like this but with American crossings

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

It is quite surreal when you think of it!

[@send2gl]

I do recall many crossing were manually operated in East Anglia. Often seen a bloke pushing the gates across the road, not so long ago either. Pretty sure some, if not all these were manual up to late 90s.

[@DistrictDriver]

Never heard of that before! Thanks for the video! Would love to live on that street!!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks for the nice comment! Seems a great place to live if you love the railways!

[@practicallyfamous]

I've been over these many times and came off my bike at the Norwich crossing due to the unusual angle of the crossing! And the only reason why that happened is because the weekly evening service for Shippea Hill down the line was cancelled. Still, lovely area!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Yes it is quite nice around there, and I can see how the angle at the Norwich Line LC could catch you out - the track crosses the road at a very steep angle there!

[@AutoUnder]

That is really cool! Great video!

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks! It sure is quite neat!

[@ElectraProductions225]

Very nice mate! Absolutely loved this location the train depot makes it a very nice location. Unfortunately I didn't have time for Norwich and Peterborough went down unexpectedly whilst I was doing Kings Lynn. (how dare you steal my recording position at lynn)

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you very much! The Peterborough Line LC went down twice when I was filming the King's Lynn Line LC. You're not missing much my not getting to Norwich Line LC IMO, and there's very little space to safely walk up to it on either side. How could I have stolen YOUR shot if I filmed here weeks before you, huh? 😂😂😂

[@ElectraProductions225]

It's KZbin rules. I'll make an apology video and keep on sighing and shaking my head.

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Lol

[@suffolktrainsplanesandbuses]

Also for some reason the bridge that you zoomed in on is part of a loop back to Peterborough! I don't know why ??

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

The little loop to the west of the Peterborough Line LC allows freight trains to easily get from Norwich or King's Lynn to the Peterborough direction without having to spend tonnes of time running around in the sidings in Ely. It's only used by a few trains a day at most, and it re-joins the Peterborough Line at Ely West Junction.

[@suffolktrainsplanesandbuses]

OK thank you. Nice video

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

👍

[@NELincsTransport]

Excellent video

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you very much!

[@EofETrainsandLCs]

The crossings are very close and they are all AHBs

[@EofETrainsandLCs]

I spot trains in Rutland

[@harrywheeler1633]

They are close! Nice one! 😄😃

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks! It felt quite cool filming here! 😎

[@trainsdu4940]

Three crossings a few hundreds yards apart from each other, on the same road? I've never seen anything like that. And even more, there's one of these lines that crossed the road at quite an angle. The alarm on the Peterborough Line level crossing is quite faulty, it sounds more like a high pitched french fire alarm than a level crossing one. Is it possible to see all three crossings closed at the same time here?

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

The Norwich Line LC is certainly very angled, and yes, that alarm at the Peterborough Line LC is certainly very unusual in the way it sounds. I don't think you could see all three in action at the same time, but it may be slightly possible, but I don't know for sure, since you can have two active at one time, though I guess the third could be held because of the line in use at the busy junction.