The Fully-renewed Wokingham Level Crossing, Berkshire

Date filmed: Wednesday the 29th of May 2024
Videos filmed at: 13:17 | 13:22 | 13:32
Route(s): London Waterloo to Reading Line / North Downs Line
- Wokingham (WKM) Station
Crossing type: Manually Controlled Barrier crossing with CCTV (MCB-CCTV)
Was a Manually Controlled Barrier crossing (MCB)
Filming location: B3349 Barkham Road, Wokingham (RG41 2XS)
Featuring: ‪@MTrains‬ (Crossing operator)
A trio of lowerings at the recently-renewed level crossing next to Wokingham Station in Wokingham near Reading. In February of this year (2024), this level crossing was fully renewed to complete the final phase of the Feltham Area Re-signalling Programme, meaning that Basingstoke's Wessex Operations Centre now signals trains all the way from Chiswick and Richmond to Windsor, Chertsey, Camberley, and Winnersh. During that phase of the project, Wokingham's signal box closed, but it happily still stands to this day. This level crossing is now operated from Basingstoke on one of two dedicated level crossing workstations, this one controlling a few scattered about the London Waterloo to Reading lines (This and Star Lane, Chertsey, Isleworth Wood Lane, and Chiswick Grove Park).
It now has Newgate 'Rising Arm' barriers, four E2S 'Appello' alarms, newer road traffic wigwag signals (two fewer than before as there aren't any leftover extra sets from before the road layout here changed), and an Atkins Electrologix system. It appears as though the traffic signals of the adjacent junctions are still integrated with the crossing, as the crossing will activate as the lights change towards red when requested and will be held red until after the crossing has raised. This, however, didn't stop a car blatantly speeding through the crossing as the barriers lowered after one vehicle turned off. On one side, the ground drops sharply to the crossing, so you're actually wig-wag height until you're close to being right underneath them!
Video guide:
Intro - 0:00
-
Before & After shots - 0:30
-
Lowering 1 (1:11):
165 106 (Great Western Railway) - 2:35
1V47 Gatwick Airport ➡ Reading | 1 minute late
-
Lowering 2 (3:09):
1) 450 086 & 450 079 (South Western Railway) - 4:46
2C40 Reading ➡ London Waterloo | On-time
2) 458 532 & 458 509 (South Western Railway) - 5:34
2C33 London Waterloo ➡ Reading | On-time
-
Lowering 3 - Includes a cancelled closure & Misuse (6:22):
165 111 (Great Western Railway) - 8:40
1O71 Reading ➡ Gatwick Airport | On-time
-
End-of-video picture showcase: 9:16
Train details sourced from:
Real Time Trains: www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sear...
Open Train Times: www.opentraintimes.com/maps
Traksy: traksy.uk/live
Filmed on: Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus in 4K 30fps
Thanks for watching!

[@kevinleech6335]

Thanks for the update stating 4 Road-Lights, I'd not noticed 2 were removed in the new setup. I've made the correction to my Google level crossing map. Great videos.

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you very much! Happy to provide as always. I always wondered whether the side lights would be removed or not.

[@NorthWestLevelCrossingsChannel]

Excellent video and nice upgrade 👍

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks!

[@freebrickproductions]

Great video! The traffic lights look like they may use Leotek IL-series LEDs, TBH. RIP to the old GWEs there as well. I noticed the first train on the second activation was also vandalized at some point.

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks! 😁

[@BRLevelCrossingsAndMoreUK]

Nice! It’s a shame the signal box is out of use now.

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks! I'm glad it is still standing.

[@BRLevelCrossingsAndMoreUK]

@@SouthEastLevelCrossings that’s true

[@SouthWestCrossingsUK]

Nice video and cancelled closure! 4 alarms really isnt necessary. Not the best of upgrades ive seen. And also lots of hangmans in lowering 3.

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thank you! It's probably an accessibility-related way of keeping overall alarm volume down. The person behind the channel M-Trains was the crossing operator during that lowering, and wanted to provide barrier stoppages.

[@NWLevelCrossings]

I thought you would come back here when it was renewed!Brilliant Videos! 👍🏻👍🏻 Did you prefer the old crossing or the upgrade?

[@SouthEastLevelCrossings]

Thanks a lot! The old crossing definitely