A late-afternoon at the longest level crossing in the UK - Helpston Level Crossing, Cambridgeshire

Date filmed: 24/02/2023
Video filmed between 16:28 and 17:21
Route(s): East Coast Main Line (ECML) / Birmingham to Peterborough Line
- Between Peterborough and Grantham / Stamford Stations
Things to look out for:
Full LNER "Oxblood" Intercity 225 set (9:59)
How NOT to use a level crossing (14:27)
Crossing type: Manually Controlled Barriers crossing (MCB)
Here's a selection of footage filmed within about fifty minutes or so at this very busy level crossing on the East Coast Main Line. Measuring in at approximately 230ft (70 metres) in length, it is the longest level crossing in the UK from end to end, and it has a total of six tracks. It's one of only four public highway level crossings in the country to have this many tracks, three of which are within a few miles on this stretch of the East Coast Main Line! It takes a considerable amount of time to cross it on foot, and here you've also got the unusual sight of the operating signal box being within the level crossing itself. Originally, it was two separate manually-gated level crossings before being merged into one long crossing at some point. There are four loud alarms here, and there is a time gap of a few seconds separating each pair of barriers lowering (this is now longer than it previously was), though the operator is on hand to delay the lowering if someone needs to finish crossing.
Eight separate lowerings and seventeen different trains are featured throughout this video taken during the late afternoon at around sunset, so as the video goes on, you can see trains shooting past in all the pretty ambient colours that come with it. An "Intercity 225" set, a light locomotive, and a freight train from Ely are seen mixed in with the usual traffic on the East Coast Main Line, as well as the hourly services towards Stamford and Leicester for Birmingham. In the final lowering, quite a questionable bit of driving is seen, as a black Range Rover can be seen overtaking a waiting vehicle (over double solid white lines which prohibit overtaking) and impatiently speeding off. This thankfully didn't delay any barriers lowering or trains being cleared through, but it still crossed the double solid white lines...
Location: B1443 Glinton Road, Helpston
Trains featured:
Lowering 1 (0:00):
1) Class 801 (LNER Azuma) - 1:15
Leeds ➡ London Kings Cross
2) Class 66 light locomotive (GBRf) - 1:38
Ketton Ward Siding GBRf ➡ Peterborough Maintenance Shed GBRf
-
Lowering 2 (2:05):
1) Class 802 (Hull Trains 'Paragon') - 3:25
London Kings Cross ➡ Beverley
2) Class 158 (East Midlands Railway - Regional) - 3:48
Norwich ➡ Liverpool Lime Street
3) Class 801 (LNER Azuma) - 4:08
Edinburgh Waverley ➡ London Kings Cross
-
Lowering 3 (4:34):
1) Class 800 (LNER Azuma) - 5:35
London Kings Cross ➡ Aberdeen
2) 2 Class 802s (Hull Trains 'Paragon') - 5:58
Hull Paragon Interchange ➡ London Kings Cross
-
Lowering 4 (6:21):
Class 801 (LNER Azuma) - 7:25
Edinburgh Waverley ➡ London Kings Cross
-
Lowering 5 (8:01):
1) 2 Class 801s (LNER Azuma) - 8:55
Leeds ➡ London Kings Cross
2) Class 170 (Cross Country) - 9:22
Cambridge ➡ Birmingham New Street
3) Class 180 (Grand Central) - 9:45
Bradford Interchange ➡ London Kings Cross
4) Class 91 & Mk.4 Driving Van Trailer "Intercity 225" set (LNER) - 9:59
London Kings Cross ➡ Leeds
-
Lowering 6 (10:24):
1) Class 800 (LNER Azuma) - 11:28
London Kings Cross ➡ Lincoln Central
2) Class 170 (Cross Country) - 11:50
Birmingham New Street ➡ Cambridge
3) Class 66 (DB Cargo UK) - 12:20
Ely MLF Papworth Sidings ➡ Toton North Yard
-
Lowering 7 (12:52):
Class 800 (LNER Azuma) - 14:05
London Kings Cross ➡ Middlesbrough
-
Lowering 8 (14:27):
Class 801 (LNER Azuma) - 15:23
York ➡ London Kings Cross
Thanks for watching!