The FULLY-RENEWED Brookland Level Crossing, Kent

Date filmed: Wednesday the 22nd of October 2025
Video filmed at 09:19

Route: Dungeness Branch Line
Suggested Timing Point: Lydd Town
Trains take about 10 minutes to reach this crossing after leaving Appledore

Crossing type:
Was Automatic Open Crossing Locally-monitored by traincrew (AOCL)
Now Automatic Barrier Crossing Locally-monitored by traincrew (ABCL)

Filming location: A259 Straight Lane, Brookland (TN29 9QT)

Featuring: ‪@RH_TransportPhotography‬

A level crossing on the lesser-used branch line towards Dungeness, Kent, mostly only ever used by Nuclear Flask trains taking nuclear waste from Dungeness Power Station. It takes trains about ten minutes to reach here from Appledore Station, and numerous horns can be heard for the many and numerous 'passive' open crossings before the train actually arrives here.

Very recent to the time of filming, this level crossing on the busy, fast A259 main road has had a full renewal to a 'locally-monitored' half-barrier crossing. Once it had no barriers and no alarms, now it has these half-barriers and fairly loud alarms, and is protected either way by red/white 'Drivers Crossing Indicators', signalling to approaching drivers whether or not the crossing is working as it should. The key difference in crossing operation now is the fact that it's activated on the approach of a train, rather than having a train brought to a stand to await the signal to proceed when the crossing controls are working, and as such trains can now keep moving.

It has taken years to have this renewal take place, and it was finally done by Network Rail themselves as opposed to by contractors. The alarms and barriers date back to 2021, and all four wigwags seem to have at least some damage having been left on-site for so long. In this video, the morning Nuclear Flask train can be seen heading for Dungeness.

Trains featured:
Intro - 0:00
-
Lowering - 0:43
'6O12' Crewe Coal Sidings ➡ Dungeness British Energy (68 005 & 68 007) - 1:26
-
End-of-video picture showcase: 2:39

Train details sourced from:
Real Time Trains: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sear...

Filmed on: Panasonic HC-VX1 in 4K, 25fps

Thanks for watching!