Now Permanently Closed: Markle Level Crossing, East Lothian

Date(s) filmed: Monday the 9th and Tuesday the 10th of September 2024
Videos filmed between 09:38 and 10:22 | 20:12 and 20:23

Route: East Coast Main Line (ECML)
East Linton (ELT) is the closest station
Timetable for non-stopping trains: Stenton G.S.P. (Real Time Trains)

Crossing type: Automatic Half Barrier Crossing (AHBC)

Filming location: Markle, East Linton (EH40 3EB)

A level crossing found in the tiny settlement of Markle just outside of the village of East Linton, located about 20 miles east of Edinburgh in East Lothian, Scotland. As can be seen at the start of the video, construction works for a nearby overbridge are progressing at quite a rate, and this will have opened by June 2025 and will completely replace this level crossing, which was decomissioned shortly prior. This video features action from two different dates, featuring various Train Operating Companies, although I had to settle for phone shots on the subsequent date due to how dark it was by the time I swung by again for my last videos from here. Hope you enjoy!

This level crossing located near East Linton, one of Scotland's newest stations, was a half-barrier level crossing despite being on the vital, high-speed East Coast Main Line! It was the only remaining half-barrier level crossing anywhere on the East Coast Main Line, and it even had Mk.1 twin-arm 'penguin' barriers too. These had unusual white-coloured concrete pillars, and the alarms here rather unusually shut off just as the barriers began to raise with the lights continuing until both were fully-raised. One alarm also rather unusually faced completely away from the road, as you'll see, and you can also hear them speed up in one of the lowerings as two trains passed during that same activation.

The road may be quiet, but the closure of this crossing is still necessary as it's deemed very high risk with a viable solution to eradicate it completely. The level crossing permanently closed on the 10th of May 2025, adding to an increasingly and shockingly long list of crossing related losses in the first half of the year alone. Farewell, Markle AHB.

Trains featured:
Intro - 0:00
-
Lowering 1 (0:32):
803 005 (Lumo) - 1:02
1E82 Edinburgh Waverley ➡ London Kings Cross | 1 minute early
-
Lowering 2 (1:27):
801 213 (LNER Azuma) - 1:56
1E09 Edinburgh Waverley ➡ London Kings Cross | On-time
-
Lowering 3 - Double! (2:25):
1) 802 215 (TransPennine Express 'Nova 1') - 2:58
9N09 Edinburgh Waverley ➡ Newcastle | 1 minute early

2) 803 004 (Lumo) - 3:36
1S91 London Kings Cross ➡ Edinburgh Waverley | On-time
-
Lowering 4 (3:58):
800 103 (LNER Azuma) - 4:24
1W02 Leeds ➡ Aberdeen | 1 minute early
-
Lowering 5 (4:51):
801 201 (LNER Azuma) - 5:19
1S03 Newcastle ➡ Edinburgh Waverley | 2 minutes early
-
Lowering 6 (5:49):
220 003 & 013 (Cross Country) - 6:20
1V58 Edinburgh Waverley ➡ Newcastle (Cancelled to Penzance) | On-time
-
Filler shot - 6:39
-
Lowering 7 (7:04):
803 002 (Lumo) - 7:37
1E88 Edinburgh Waverley ➡ London Kings Cross | 1 minute early
-
Lowering 8 (8:02):
801 214 Empty Coaching Stock (LNER Azuma) - 8:34
5N21 Edinburgh Waverley ➡ Heaton T.&R.S.M.D. | 2 minutes early
-
Lowering 9 (9:18):
220 017 (Cross Country) - 9:50
1E90 Edinburgh Waverley ➡ Newcastle | 1 minute early
-
End-of-video picture showcase: 10:26

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

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

Thanks for watching!