West Bank Hall Level Crossing, North Yorkshire

Date filmed: 17/04/2023
Video filmed at 10:04

Route: Drax Power Station Branch Line
Closest timing point: Drax Branch Junction (on Real Time Trains)

Crossing type: Automatic Half Barrier Crossing (AHBC)

Location: Hirst Road, Carlton
Trains featured:
66 768 (GBRf) - 1:17
6M36 Drax Aes (GBRf) ➡ Liverpool Biomass Terminal GBRf

An empty biomass freight train at the start of its return journey to Liverpool is seen powering along the short branch line from Drax Power Station, where it unloaded, past this half-barrier level crossing near Carlton and Snaith. Drax Power Station is the UK's largest renewable electricity power station, and quite a proportion of its biomass is provided daily by numerous and various freight trains like the one seen in this video, and this is the short line into the complex from Drax Branch Junction where the lightly-used passenger line splits off towards Snaith and Goole. As can be seen at the start of the video, Drax Power Station's cooling towers can be seen dominating the skyline from just up the road from this level crossing, as they do for the skyline for miles around this flat area spanning between the likes of Selby, Goole and Knottingley.

This level crossing was renewed at some point around the mid 2010's, and it has 'S60' US-style half barriers which make quite a lot of noise when they raise and lower. Their barrier motors are even manufactured by Invensys Rail, further re-enforcing this US-style feel. There is not much alarm noise here as this is a quiet road and there is a former crossing keeper's house beside the crossing. There are also two LED pedestrian lights here to provide warning where there aren't barriers, and these flash out of sync with the main road traffic lights. There is plenty of advance warning of trains exiting the power station here, as they can be seen approaching up the line for a few minutes before the barriers lower, and you also get a clear indication of a train either approaching or ready to leave on one of the train tracking sites listed below. Quite handy as they can either be early or late, but this one ran on time.

Train details sourced from:
Real Time Trains: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sear...
Open Train Times: https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps
Traksy: https://traksy.uk/live

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