White Notley - Least Used Station In Essex
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- Опубліковано 20 лис 2017
- it's time to head into ... semi-deepish Essex, onto the Braintree branch where you'll find the least used station in Essex, hello White Notley!
Andy from Calling All Stations came along, his UA-cam channel is here: / aventinemedia
The ORR statistics for passengers numbers for all stations is here: dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statist...
with the length of the platform, I'm wondering whether White Notley sees the lowest number of passengers per day per metre of platform. Yes, I know that's a really weird metric to work with, but it intrigued me for a moment.
Mercenary Pen I'd wager you are onto something...
Mercenary Pen Geoff - please calculate this! I'm suddenly very interested
I doubt it, there are stations with less than 100 per year.
Brigg or Kirton Lindsey would be contenders, that line still has 7-coach platforms from when it was more important than now.
Platform 10a is weird because it goes to Clacton and anyone who chooses to go there is weird!
Source: I used to live in Clacton.
I live in Clacton, I second this point
Visited a friend in Clacton, I'll happily third this
What's wrong with Clacton? :o
i live colchester and is 30 mins from clacfton
Clacton has some redeeming qualities. Perhaps you lived in Jaywick. LOL
8:10 That kind of crossing is known as an AHBC, Automatic Half Barrier Crossing. First of its kind in the UK was installed in Spath, Staffs and came into operation on 5th Feb 1961. Not enough of a signalling geek to tell you brands!
Sam Wainwright Signalling geek here!
ABCL - Automatic Barrier Crossing; Locally Monitored. AHBs are supervised remotely by the signalman for faults; ABCL crossings (and various similar types) send no feedback to signalman - easy way to tell - ABCL will have a flashing white light displayed to driver to indicate crossing has operated correctly.
Thanks you two.
My life is complete
thanks
Interesting, glad I took a moment to stop the video.
Thanks to both of you!
2:44 'it's only four cars' don't take that for granted Geoff, that's a luxury in the north!
I wrote the exact same comment myself but removed it when I saw yours. We have 2 car pacers more full than the Tokyo metro
Down in south west wales we get 1 or 2 carriages
Alex Smith reading that comment while squished on a late pacer for another half an hour
DO O1 we get 0 carriages because our trains are always bloody cancelled!
Down south we get 8 car and 10 car coaches.. I wish i could donate some!
The platform is long enough for 12 car trains which are used in rush hour.
Delays are also part of the Abellio Greater Anglia experience
LightningMotionshot NS are one of the better ones in europe, get your facts straights
LOL. I'm Dutch and just like many other Dutchies, I disagree.
@@OneKnifeYeHand it's not part of the NL Abellio experience because they're actually held to account there, here they can have a 50% on time rate and keep running
10 cars now since the 720s came in
I grew up in white notley. In the 70s. When the station was much smaller and lower. The stationmaster used to have to watch to see which door opened and drag a set of wooden steos down so you could get out . He was station master and signalman in that small signal box on the platform. Manually operated gates , which he forgot to open sometimes. The house was painted bright pink. There used to be a old WW2 pill box opposite.. the line was operated by a class 101 back then. It was a long scary walk down to the village after dark. .
man as an essex girl who has moved to edinburgh a few years ago..... the sound of the GA train pulling in.... I cried
I like that the owners of "Station House" have had it blurred out on Streetview but their house is now immortilised in full view in this video.
They didn't "have it" blurred out -- that's automatically done by an algorithm which processes all the Google maps data.
My other half loves watching your videos , and was happy u did this one as we both live in white notley
The level crossing is an Automatic Half-Barrier (AHB) which are a completely automatic, with no manual imput from signallers (unless their is a fault then the local Mobile Operations Manager (MOM) will be out and about), they are also not interlocked with the lineside signalling, in order to reduce the delay for road traffic as tradditionally manual level crossings needed to be closed before all signalling has been cleared, in some cases a train would be over a mile and half away when the crossing would close.
Automatic crossings where previously operated by treadles that the train would depress in the track at a set distance from the crossing, however I have heard on occasions, if the train was brought to a stop before the crossing (through a normal station stop or an emergency), the crossing may time-out and the barriers would lift, a more modern and system is through "Track-Circuits" and "Approach Control/Release" where a train would have to occupy a section of track for a set period of time before the crossing barriers activate thus controlling the train to a low speed or to a full stop. At White Notley I would think trains in the 'up' direction would have a longer time to occupy the section as trains would need to slow down or stop at the station, whereas 'down' trains would have longer section but possibly shorter time as the line-speed may be higher on approach to the crossing and then the station, stopping or not. At either end of the crossing is a light on a post, this flashes white to indicate to the driver that the barriers have operated correctly.
Source of Info: Modern Signalling Handbook
Hope this helps, MG.
Brands for the level crossing - the barriers are made by SPX Rail Systems in Dagenham and the lights (wigwags) are made by Unipart in York!
the platform is so long because about 3 trains in the morning & evening peaks are 12 coaches! and busy too!
I find these videos fascinating but cannot explain why.
Other people’s reactions to you filming are just as entertaining to watch as the video :)
3:51 nice sound!
The platform at White Notely can accommodate twelve carriage length trains, which happens during the Monday - Friday Peak Rush Hours. There is an automatic half barrier level crossing at one end a user worked level crossing at the other end of the station.
Thank you Geoff for visiting my favourite leash used station.
Love the 3-2-1 and Ted Rogers reference. I’m proud to call Ted’s son Danny a friend. He followed in his dad’s footsteps and he’s an actor too. Very lovely and talented guy, just like his dad.
4:07 anyone else hold down the open button just before stopping so as soon as it illuminates it opens immediately so you save 0.1 seconds in reaction time on your journey?!
Level crossing gates: I think that crossings with half gates (that only cover half of the carriageway on each side) are usually automatic, as road traffic on the track when the barriers go down can go around them to get clear. Gates that block the whole road are manually triggered by someone who is remotely monitoring cameras, to make sure that no traffic is trapped on the rails.
Am i dreaming calling all stations (Andy) and Geoff marshall in 1 video. Love it
I used to work at Stratford and was told that there used to be a platform 7, it used to be the old DLR platform before they built the new DLR platform. It became redundant when it moved to the new ones and didn't renumber it, it is now a phantom platform we used to send insulting passengers too for a giggle. On another note you will find the newish overground platforms as 1 & 2 these used to be platforms 17 & 18. To not confuse the punters some bright spark decided to keep 1 & 2 as overground, I always found it odd how they numbered the platforms there. This info can not be relied upon however. Great vid by the way.
AIUI the old Platform 4 (now long gone) used to be the old DLR platform. Platform 7 is the unused bay next to the Eastbound Central Line, and AFAIK it's never actually been used.
8:30 for a split second you can see the treadle which operates the level crossing half barriers. It's a small rectangular box between the rails and it will have a switch on it that a trains wheel can press. Pressing it will either raise or lower the barrier, there will be another treadle out of shot on the other side of the crossing.
**Edit:** you can see the other one for an even briefer period of time as they walk down the platform in sped up footage. It's by a signpost.
Love the scarf, worthy of a Doctor! Which reminds me, I caught the image of the Third Doctor in the one on Peartree. Gave me a right bit of a chuckle, it did ;)
The two best railway you tubers in the same place
I like the doctor’s companion he seems like a nice guy
He has eyes of a clever man
Welcome to Essex - I used to travel through here to Freeport when I worked there!
That really is an utterly magnificent scarf!
eyy braintree is my home station :)) you pretty much just traveled my commute
can confirm as someone who regularly travels on this line that very few people use white notley station. also cressing, where they were headed next, is basically in the exact same state except with a shorter platform, broken permit to travel machine and everything.
On Lowestoft branch at Woodbridge the driver gets out and opens cabinet with key to press plunger. It's slow approach speed. Ones were approach speed greater then barriers go down earlier.
Much as I enjoy this series, It's difficult not to pine for the days when such stations would have had a stationmaster, a porter, and probably a signalman, at least. Also a waiting room, a coal fire, someone to sell you a ticket and a loo.
Now it's a draughty bus shelter and an info button, if you're lucky. Sic transit gloria mundi.
I remember White Notley when it had a crossing keeper. He lived in the house next to the station, shown in the video. He opened and closed wooden crossing gates by hand and you could buy tickets from him at the station office. The crossing was automated when I was a child, maybe 8 years old? (I'm in my late 20s now). They took away the wooden gates, got rid of the crossing keeper and bulldozed the WW2 pillbox where the village Home Guard had stood watch over the station.
I loved the good old days when someone would sell me a loo along with my ticket, my How times have changed. 😁
@@user-bh4rx8mf8g I moved to tye green in the late 80s and had forgotten all about the wooden gates , concrete shelter and crossing guard . Thanks for reminding me , they had the same system at cressing station .
I too feel nostalgic for the charm of a friendly manned small station but times change . And if all these small stations hadn't changed then rail fares would be even more expensive - human beings cost lots of money .
@@andynixon2820 When these stations were manned, there was no alternative to rail travel for most people. The volume of travellers using the station facilitated, indeed necessitated, railway workers to operate them. As common carriers a station might have to accept a prize pig or a consignment of gold bars. It's also true that people didn't expect and certainly didn't receive high wages for working on the railway.
I've never been up the Braintree branch but it's nice seeing my local station (Witham) on here
I can remember the first time I went to Witham in the seventies, when my cousin got married there, we travelled there on the train, and the Braintree branch was still unelectrified, with no through trains to or from London, just a shuttle service from Witham daily.
White Notely looks like a delightful village and must be very close to the station. I would have been very tempted by a short walk to the Cross Keys pub.
When I was a kid, 321's were a big leap over the old slam door trains running that Braintree service but now even these are beginning to show their age. 323's are a nicer environment to be in.
The 31x (can't remember the class number) used to be the mainstay on one of the services, can't remember which. Was that to Harwich Parkstone Quay?
Nice video Geoff
Braintree represent! Grew up there and lived there for 13 years.
Are you doing the least used one in The Isle Of Wight? 😊
Callum LTFC Rutland first
Probably
Callum LTFC but he’s never been! XD
He has
That will probably be Lake station or Smallbrook Junction. But then again, the latter is only open when the Isle of Wight Steam Railway is operating, so I don't know if it's worthy of inclusion.
Thank you for doing my county!
It always weirds me out seeing the National Express moquettes on trains down south, when I'm so used to it being on the buses round where I live.
Stratford station needs to be completely renumbered. The current numbering is illogical you have platform 2 next to platform 12 and platform 3a just above platforms 14-17. I know that the different ages of these platforms (i.e 1 and 2 were only built when the NLL moved). But still its an absolute mess. Renumber it starting from the current platform 12, which becomes platform 3 etc.
I also have to say I'm quite surprised c2c aren't interested in using it as a second terminus. Stratford is far more popular than Fenchurch Street.
c2c run weekend services to Liverpool Street via Stratford, alas (for me) they only go via Basildon.
Funnily enough, Platforms 4 and 7 were intended to be used to run Fenchurch Street - Limehouse (then called Stepney East) - Bow Road - Stratford shuttles following electrification, but the service never materialised, with Platform 4 subsequently being used by the DLR until 2007 when it transferred to new Platforms 4A and 4B.
As for wholesale renumbering, I think that's been kicked into the long grass as "too difficult" for now given the number of systems it would affect.
It never materialised due to the war kicking off right after the line was completed but before it could be signed off. By the time the war was over it wasn't in demand anymore and eventually large sections of the rail in place was taken over for the DLR.
Heuston Station in Dublin has platforms 2-5 directly accessible from the concourse, Platform 1 down at the end of Platform 2, and platforms 6-8 down at the end of Platform 5. So far, it all makes sense: platforms 1-8 are in order. However, Platform 10 (unused) sits at the far end of the car park, a good six minute walk away. There is no Platform 9.
I biked to White Notley station when I was a kid hoping to see a train back in the 70s. They were only four cars long then. Needless to say, I didn't see one and didn't have the patience to wait around until one arrived. That was my closest station, living in rural Essex, beyond Silver End.
Been through that station many times, never seen anyone get off there. However, for a branch line it's almost always a busy train.
Geoff Platforms at Stratford were as follows. Platform 4 & Platform 7 witch you may notice do not exist at stratford were former platforms used for terminating shuttle trains from Fenchurch Street Station.
Platform 10a never used to exist as when the old station building existed between platforms 10 and eleven the platform extended out more with only the singe track were doors could open either side at platform 10.
Platform 1&2. before the New platforms 1&2 were built on the high level section for the new overground services the used to be the now DLR low level tracks with are now platforms 16&17.
The High Level DLR platforms towards canary Wharf and Lewisham are now Classified as class 4A & 4B.
Jubilee Line services ar Platforms 13-15. Platform 11 Platform 12 is now a ghost platform and only is very Rarely Used.I have a spreadsheet to show this if you would like it. Hope that clears your questions up.
Those magic words in the morning “I’m getting the tea’s in”. Perfect.
That platform supports 12 car running. Not sure about now but in the past London-Braintree trains used to run as a full 12 car service using Class 321's during the evening rush (and many years before Braintree Freeport Station opened up.)
At Cressing, further up the line, NR realised that there was an increase in passenger numbers over recent years and plans had been put in place to create a passing loop and a second platform.
Not sure whether this will still happen but to add to this, there was also a campaign to reopen sections of the old Dunmow line in order to link this part of Essex with Stansted Airport.
The new line would have been good value too, running alongside the A120 (that links up to the M11) where land was ready (and extremely easy) to develop to create a new permanent way.
This should have been carried out. There'd be no need to travel into London get on the London-Stansted Express and my guess is that the line would be very sustainable.
Does every london tube station have entry points (that doors opening when you scan your oyster or so) for slow walking rollator using people? So they don't hurt when the doors one time crash into the rollator and the next time into the arms of the person using it...
0:28 listen to the intro music sync perfectly with the open door noise of a jubilee line train! Nice work Geoff!
this is really cool, i live in witham and get the train to notley to meet friends quite often.
witham station is grim btw
hi geoff i live in braintree a few days ago me and my friend decided to just go a couple stops to white notley and see what changed and the geocash isn't there anymore maybe it fell or someone took it
I live down the road from that White Notley, I would have joined you if I knew you'd be there!
The platform is that long because back in the days of BR, rush hour trains from London would come down and split there so there would be two trains coming back into Witham half an hour apart to head back to London.
They didn't split at Witham because all four platforms were heavily used at the time.
When I lived in white notley in BR days trains always spit at Witham. They were the only trains to use that platform. One half carried on towards Colchester the other half to Braintree. Never say one split at white notley. Unless that wad towards the end of BR days.
AHBC Automatic Half Barrier Crossing that is what they are called Geoff and love all your videos
Brundall e.g. with those manual barriers are known as gates.
Half arm barriers are known as AHB crossing (Automatic Half Barriers)
The full road crossings are MCB (Manual Closing Barriers)
What is "the cut" in New Malden all about with it's disused tunnels by the level crossing?
Love the scarf! Is that the colours of the old district line!
321's also nicknamed Dusty Bins!
Hence the clip of the show...
Yep
At Highams Park the barrier comes down when the train is approaching the platform meaning cars have to wait for the train to reach the platform, stop, let passengers on and off and then cross the crossing.
The lights at the crossing would be unipart rail, alarms: yodalarms, barriers: SPX rail systems or SPX fluid power and the crossing is an AHBC.
Level Crossing enthusiasts exist. After filming a railtour at one I keep being recommended level crossing spotter videos. They all seem to follow the same format, film the lights, barriers going down, then real off the expected serviced from RTT before screaming the number as the train goes past.
I’ve been caught out at Stratford now many times. It’s a labyrinth.
ABCL Crossing - Automatic Barrier Crossing, Locally monitored.
Operation of the Crossing is by little treadles on the track and timers.
At station crossings such as at White Notley; the crossing timers are usually calibrated for stopping trains - hence the big “Stop” sign at the end of the platform - the Crossing sequence starts so many seconds after the train goes over the trackside treadle that triggers it.
The “Locally Monitored” part is because there is no feedback to the controlling signalman as to the “state” of the Crossing. Instead a flashing white light is displayed to the driver to indicate the Crossing has operated correctly.
Much, much more info:
www.railsigns.uk/info/xings2/xings2.html
Black Notley was once the site of an isolated hospital for contagious diseases. It became notorious locally, anyone sent to Black Notley never came back...
Well that's the stop straight after my local one
I've just been there it is amazing
The crossing here is an Automatic Half Barrier (AHB), with 2 SFX RAIL Level crossing MK2 barrier mechanisms. With ALL crossings, the crossing must be activated 27 seconds before the train passes through the level crossing. :)
While they're explaining the platform numbering at Stratford, can we also get Watford Junction explained (no platform 5 there)
New ORR stats released! New least used stations series with the new stations? :P
Greater Anglia in a nutshell. Late, always.
Later Angrier
@@harrisonbatzloff5307 10/10
They're not always late. Sometimes they're cancelled.
No surprise there as it's run by NS (Dutch Railways) who are also famous for that.
@@fozz1138 just like one of those northbound trains that was gonna leave from Watford junction to a street full of parks
I see a couple of correct answers to the Stratford 10/10a conundrum. Platform 10 indeed used to be platform 9 and platform 10a platform 10. Why was the "new 10" built (going from memory here, be gentle if I get this wrong)? To enable the very same 12-car running talked about in other comments about the Braintree branch! Platform 10a couldn't be extended due to the curve from Temple Mills just before it and Angel Lane bridge on the other side. Why 10/10a? Since they are both down lines, Essex-bound (but 10 is reversible if memory serves). Should they be renumbered? Probably.
Geoff’s guest contributor kind of looks like US actor Bobby Moynihan (best known for being a former member of the cast of Saturday Night Live)
Greater Anglia is 60% owned by Abellio, which in turn is owned by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS).
And the NS is famous for being frequently late, so I guess it all trickles down to subsidiaries as well.
also interesting fact about witham station is platform 1 used to take you to maldon. You can still walk along the old track bed
Only some of it
Stopped there many times when visiting family, but never got out of train. A lovely station name. They use to run 8 car sets but the back 4 were locked at Witham. Are there other single track electrified lines? Silver End isn't an old village but a a planned settlement based round a Crittall windows factory.
The Abbey line, Watford Junction - St Albans Abbey is a single track and electrified
The Crouch Valley line (Wickford - Southminster) is single track & electrified with a passing loop halfway at North Fambridge.
Think there's also one from Colchester to Harwich. I can't tell you if it has any passing loops or not as I have never done the line and am not familiar with the area
Surprised nobody mentioned the Romford to Upminster line 🤔 (if you want to count third rail too, there’s Lymington and pretty much all of the Island line on that!)
fetchstix Oh yeah, good point
That bench looks like a stock standard rail platform bench. They would be all over the rail network here in New Zealand.
The older GEML trains are also called Dusty Bins.
Not read any of the other comments, but White Notley station is near the big house where The Prodigy lived and rehearsed.
Can someone please tell me the music he used at 0:23
0:24 Take your foot of the seat please Geoff.
The odd numbering at Stratford is the byproduct of the old DLR platforms that have since been relocated.
Re Stratford; Platform renumbering tends only to take place when re-signalling occurs, hence the proliferation of platform 0s across the network in recent years.
I know that loads of people would have asked for a video request but I will ask myself, could you do a video of Cheddington because it has a disused taken up branch line the first ever one, it's famous for the great train robbery and it's 45 minutes out of London. It wasn't in a video on all the stations.
The woman's face on the bottom left is hilarious at 3:20 !
😂😂
You’re a modern day Alan Whicker Geoff!
Until 1952 you could get a train direct from Braintree to Bishops Stortford on the same line as Witham. Now the line only goes as far as Braintree.
There is now an abandoned platform 7. It's a bay platform -in the same way that platform 4 is, but was meant to be a shuttle platform between Stratford and fenchurch street.
But do agree they need to renumbered the mess at the station .
8:22 - Yes. There are loads of Level Crossing nerds on UA-cam and around the internet.
Yesss I live near that station !
best companion ever
The level crossing is an AHB automatic Half Barrier
That scarf is the same as the old seats in the 90s on the District, I think,line
Any idea where to get that moqeutte scarf from? Seems a nice Christmas gift for someone I know
Alex P www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk/clothing/mens/district-moquette-design-lambswool-scarf
Alex P sorry bit late for xmas...
Here's a question that needs answering: How do potential passengers get to and from a Least Used Station? It's rural and I don't see a parking at White Notley and there doesn't seem to be a bus service. Do they all walk home?
jammin023 interesting then to consider where 29 people a day come from!
You should do Least Used Station in East Yorkshire Geoff 👍
Funny that Braintree is a terminus station in Essex. Braintree is also a terminus for the MBTA's Red Line. Though I have a sneaking feeling it's not the same one...
What's the least used station on the Glasgow subway?
West Street, with just 96,593 passengers.
when can you go to ALT GA that have a subway train
I'm from White Notley, this is the most bizarre/pointless video I've seen in a while!
Wait u do geocaching too?
Profound! ;)