I should add, as the video would have been very boring if I'd gone into too much detail on this... It is possible to amend an Automatic Half Barrier crossing to have stopping/non-stopping controls (as the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch has) and Sevenscore crossing on the other side of the station will get them. Cliffsend is getting the full whack of CCTV for safety reasons as much as the station as it's in a residential area and heavily used by pedestrians etc... Now you see why I didn't say it on film.
It's interesting you say it has to be controlled manually. In Denmark we've gotten rid of most level crossings for obvious safety reasons, but the few that remain are normally tied into the signals, so if the train has a clear signal the gates stay down and if the gates can't go down for whatever reason the trains get a warning signal and have to stop for crossing traffic. We also have separate "station exit" signals that basically work like blocks within the main blocks, which keep the trains at the stations till the line's clear, especially in cases where the station is right next to a crossing,so the trains can't leave the station till the gates are down
Chris’s explanation is excellent. Simple and plain English and I should add - absolutely correct! No jargon, no acronyms, not pious or overly serious. Another superb video where you’ve both managed to give non railway folks an insight into the way complex projects are delivered and how they fit together.
Admittedly, I only know him from his appearances in Geoff's videos, but based on that small sample size, I have a difficult time envisioning Chris being pious or overly serious about anything. :)
@@ZGryphon I can tell you from first hand experience that he certainly isn’t either. He’s a really nice chap. That’s one of the reasons why he’s so good at this. Plus his railway knowledge is second to none.
To answer the question about the point on the Thanet circular where going the wrong way to London is better than going direct in more detail, in practical terms it is Margate but it can be said it is Birchington-on-Sea. Margate to St. Pancras Intl. via Faversham is 1:36 h while Margate to St. Pancras Intl. via Canterbury West is 1:26 h. If you take actual time on the train Birchington-on-Sea to St. Pancras Intl. gives you a timetabled time of 1:31 h on a train via either route but due to the need to change at Margate and the timetable which gives poor connections into that direction, the actual journey from Birchington to St. Pancras is much longer via Margate and Canterbury West than via Faversham.
I am used to bridges going over things. If it goes underground it is a tunnel or an underpass. Are you just being casual or is this another case of the US and the UK being two countries separated by a common language? 🤔
@@johnbennett1465 @John Bennett A crossing under the tracks is a subway. They're just joking about "underground footbridges". In the video Geoff was saying 2:52 they didn't need a crossing _over_ the tracks as there was already a crossing _under_ them. It's just that he was saying "footbridge" for crossing over. He should have said "subway" for crossing under but accidentally said "footbridge" again 2:57. Incidentally, there are things on the tube that are a bit like underground footbridges. At stations where the tunnel has to be wider to accommodate a platform as well as the track, it is also necessarily wider. However, the clearance needed for passageways over the track is no greater. So at some old stations the passageway actually cuts through the crown of the tunnel. Sometimes there is an arch- or crescent-shaped grate low on the wall of the passage where it cuts through the station tunnel, and you can see down to the train and platform below.
Chris's remarks about ice physics got me thinking, and water is indeed a deeply weird substance--and in strangely fortunate ways, too. Very few materials expand when they freeze, for instance, but if water didn't do that, we wouldn't have soil, which is... kind of important.
@@robertwilloughby8050 Could be. There are a handful of elements that are denser as liquids than solids (offhand, I can think of silicon and bismuth, but I'm pretty sure there are a couple of others), but they're all solids at room temperature anyway.
We'd also have a thick layer of ice at the bottom of all areas of water of any size, as the ice forming at the surface would sink and be protected from the later heat which would otherwise melt it.
Geoff's excitement about the rail is contagious. I don't live in the UK nor will I ever ride the UK rail lines featured in most of his videos. I love this kind of content. It's just so much fun. Thanks Geoff!
My grandparents retired to Cliffsend in the year I was born - 1957. So I've known that level crossing my entire life. My earliest memory is of the crossing keeper's house and standard full length gates. The house went, automatic half-barriers came in, and now full barriers are coming back, with manual control. As a child I always wondered why there wasn't a station there. I hope you went to see "Hugin", the Viking ship while you were there.
To answer the speed to London question: I commute to London from Margate regularly for work, the 'wrong way' around through Canterbury and Ashford is faster by about 10-15 minutes. Margate is the last stop on that train, so it's faster for Birchington onwards to stay on the Medway route as that doesn't require changing. I really hope they can find those extra minutes, it was my big fear of this new station coming in! I was honestly pretty surprised when I saw it being built as it isn't too far from Ramsgate, and would be serving a fairly small population unless Manston gets built on and is successful. We'll have to wait and see what it brings! Thanks for covering our funky corner of the UK Geoff 😉
Geoff, you said about half way point. You need to do a video, workout the halfway point. Possible Margate. Start there and go through the medway towns and then go back to Margate and go the other way via Canterbury and Ashford and time it. Would make a good video 👌
Based on current timings, Margate-St Pancras via Faversham is 1hr 36 mins. Via Canterbury West is 1hr 26 mins. So Geoff's guess of Brichington being the closest station to being the same time in either direction is about right. Although of course that's only theoretical as there are no services to Birchington via Canterbury West.
I see Geoff has made a good friend in Chris. As for the station, that's awesome to see more new stations being built in England. That situation with the crossing reminds me of Redwood, a station in the Wellington area (in NZ). Redwood has staggered platforms with a crossing in the middle.
So does the not too recently built Eastfields station in Mitcham, Surrey, England. It has staggered platforms with a level crossing in between that has 4 gates and is automatic with a telephone should an emergency arise. Paul.
The physics in question is that liquid water only conducts electricity through the motion of impurities. Ice doesn't let them move, so no conduction. In metals, however, atoms let some of their electrons run free even when solid.
I lived the first 8.5 years of my life at 7, Canterbury Road West - the bungalow at the top of Foad's Hill/Lane. I can't count the number of times we walked down that hill to the village hall/corner shop/playschool/play park over that crossing! We used to love it when the lights flashed and the barriers came down, and would stand on the slide in the park and guess which direction the train was going to come from. Just thought I'd mention it. Thanks for bringing back some happy memories.
Great video as always Geoff 👍 The heating strips on the conductor rail, are an old system that has been used for many years on the points & crossings. Stopping ice forming, so the switch rails can open and close (meet end position) successfully.
Another excellent video Geoff. I think its brilliant that Network Rail allow you to go behind the scenes and pick up all the information about ongoing projects etc. Very well explained and simplified too which is what i love about them.
Perfect ending! I must admit I am always wary of half barrier (AHBC) level crossings as I am aware sone silly person might try to take a chance as I am approaching at line speed 😕 There was also an incident not long ago where the barrier was lowered fir a train in the down direction but the up train for some reason didnt register with the up deterctor so the down train had long passed, the barriers raised while the up train approached! Thankfully no one was hurt ☺ Cheers Geoff, really enjoy your Network Rail videos 🍀🍻👍🎩
@@hannahranga: true enough mate! We’re lucky as we only have three. One of them is actually on such a narrow road that the barrier essentially covers about 2/3 of the whole road and is thus fairly safe, and another is on quite a quiet road, so only one is a real concern thankfully 👍
Me thinks, that your past association with both tube & rail, the positive impression you give of every aspect tube/rail travel, has "earned you kudos" with Management & Staff (with whom you have interacted with), thus "the invitation to visit, film, speak to.." now stands you in good stead. I am not sure that I have seen that accolade given to other vloggers, who "watch trains". It is always a pleasure "travel with you", on what ever journey you take.
You and Chris should team up more and give us more videos about how the railway runs, in greater detail. Not only would it be very interesting for your normal audience, but a lot of the newer staff on the railway that we get from outside the railway industry might learn something too.
Video like these that Geoff produce are always intriguing and always learn something new like how Thanet Parkway cannot open until they upgrade the level crossing. A few days ago I did pass through Reston Station while travelling between Edinburgh and Newcastle but it also interesting to see progress on a station being built. Great Video Geoff.
4:47 (Margate local here) Margate is about the tipping point - from here it’s quicker to go through Canterbury & Ashford - though it’s much more expensive so most people just go the ‘longer’ way anyway. Also you can only get a HS train from Birchington, Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate (and soon parkway!)
Time will tell if this was a good investment, they built the harbour approach road as the shipping route ended, built a dual carriageway way that was finished as Pfizer pulled out. Thanet Parkway was supposed to service a massive housing development on the Airfield site but the Airport is being reopened to Freight Airlines. All said Geoff we’ll see you back at Thanet Parkway for Kent’s least used Railway in the years to come.
I assumed that the housing development company would be paying a decent chunk of the station cost ? Also, why on earth do they "have" to claw back the two minutes before opening the station - surely the greater good is for the station to open, and then the line upgrade works to be completed in due course ?
Good to see this station open. I visited over the weekend and it works fine as a parkway but getting into the adjacent village of Cliffsend on foot is a bit of a challenge.
I’m in the final year of an applied maths and physics degree and “… which is weird but physics” may as well describe everything in the whole universe ever.
Chris' comments about the level crossing upgrade makes me wonder why the one on Crawley High St is so bad! It's right next to the station but the barriers come down just as every down service reaches the platform, and every service stops. Never mind 47 seconds, it's more like 3 minutes with the barriers down. Add the fact the up services often comes minutes either side means the barrier is often down for over 5 minutes! I have crossed the line quicker than waiting by walking to the footbridge 200m away!
Why are the walls on the platform not being made with perspex or similar, from your distance shots it looks like a horrendous eyesight with these solid walls in the platform rather than something people using the station could observe the view thru
I am in 2 minds about this, new train station, upgrades and encouraging public transport use - good, not sure new train station next to a village with no shop or pub (from Google maps - cafe and viking ship though) for £34.5M or £116k per parking space does make sense. Presumably someone has big plans for Manston Airport.
By the way... The answer to where the balancing point of journey times is is complicated. At Margate the St P via Canterbury service is 10 mins quicker than the Medway Towns version BUT that depends on when you are travelling. If you happen to be there when the Medway version is arriving, then it's quicker to catch that , than wait. At Birchington there's no benefit to travelling the "wrong" way.
If you miss the 07 From Ramsgate via Canterbury West but can catch the 20 via Margate & "The Northern Curve" I call it then it gets you into STP at 06 where as if you get the next 07 via Canterbury then that arrives 15 mins behind the 20 via Margate. I only ever got the 20 if I needed to go via Gravesend for the commuter Connection via Dartford or if Engineering works on the Ashford bit.
Interesting about the level crossing. Some stations in Melbourne had a key switch on the passenger platforms that the drivers could use to re active or stop the level crossing. These were common at stations which had the level crossing 5 metres from end of the platform. perhaps they could have installed one of those at the station for the trains that stop there to switch on the level crossing again.
i used to play in that same tunnel and fields just behind my old house on old hall drive and yer right it has GREAT echoes...lol many a time id be shouting in there for the echoes.... lol
I know Chris was wearing a high-visibility jacket but my concentration was a bit distracted in the final section by the level crossing, as he kept on walking onto the road and cars were occasionally going past at a decent speed. It always amazes me how many railway stations there are in the south-east of England, with many serving quite small conurbations. That having been said, it was another interesting and informative video from Geoff.
Oh wow its finally nice to see Geoff in my part of town in Thanet :) not sure if he's ever come down this way, seems always too London central so it's nice to see him reviewing a station that will be done soon and that's literally up the road from me :)
Another great video Geoff behinds the scenes on building a new Train Station, Upgrading the Level Crossings, I absolutely love all of your videos, I find them extremely interesting! 😊
With regards to which services are quicker from St Pancras International, if you are going to Birchington, Herne Bay or Whitstable, it is quicker via Chatham. For Ramsgate, Broadstairs or Margate, it is quicker via Ashford International and Canterbury West. If you take Margate as the mid-point for ease, it takes 94 minutes via Chatham, and 86 minutes via Canterbury West. There is another service from St Pancras International which goes via Dover Priory and Sandwich to terminate at Ramsgate, taking a total of 109 minutes.
Yes, going London to Margate via Ashford and Ramsgate is quicker by 20 minutes. It’s more expensive as a result. There’s no “half way” point since the trains from London are either to Margate via Ramsgate or to Ramsgate via Margate.
I'm enjoying your videos Geoff. We shared a few coffees at the good old Beeb when you did your 50p challenge to get an iPod. Now you're getting more subscribers than BBC 4 (possibly)
This station is very close to the currently closed Manston airport, some think it should be reopended with a shuttle link for air passengers, others think the area will be turned to housing with this being the local railway station. Regarding journey times, (and looking at high speed services only) there is an hourly service Margate via Ramsgate and Canterbury to Ashford where it joins HS1 on to London St Pancras, plus a loop sevice St Pancras - Ashford (via HS1) - Folkestone - Dover - Deal - Sandwich - Ramsgate - Margate - Birchington - Faversham - Medway joining HS1 again at Ebbsfleet to St Pancras & similar loop in reverse. If travelling between Thanet and London via HS1 the services via Folkestone have the longest journey time, in the other direction travelling via Medway is next for journey time (but cheaper) with the fastest being the service Margate via Canterbury. Tipping point, as the fastest service via Canterbury starts at Margate, when travelling via Birchington it is quicker to travel via Medway to avoid the need to change en route for services via Canterbury. Depending on start location and setting off time it may be quicker driving to Margate / Ramsgate to catch the faster HS1 service, as always consult the timetable.
To your question about what’s the quickest route.. I have been travelling on south east coast line since I was 3, I am now 31, I think it’s depends on where you are boarding for the high speed to st Pancras. Now if you are coming from Canterbury, the west is the best bet for a quick journey.. for Dover I think via Folkestone and for Herne bay/whitstable up one station to Faversham and join the Medway valley via Gravesend.
Around Margate right now, it is about the same time frame to get to London via Canterbury / via the Medway Towns. I am pretty sure that to get from Margate to London the websites recommend whatever train is closer to the time you want to go as the time difference is fairly inconsequential.
Hi Geoff, as a Rail enthusiast from Chatham Medway, through Strood, Rochester and Chatham, the maximum line speed is at 30mph, also going from st Pancras to ramsgate it takes 1 hour, 15 minutes, if you are going via ashford and it takes 1 hour, 46 minutes to go from st Pancras to ramsgate via Medway towns and faversham, so it is quicker going via ashford.
People have already answered the 'which way round?' question, but has anyone mentioned the cost difference? There is a premium paid by passengers for journeys travelled on HS1. If you buy a ticket at Ramsgate you are often asked whether you are going via Ashford or the Medway Towns. Ashford is more expensive because there is a lot more HS1 line traversed than if you went the other way and joined HS1 at Ebbsfleet. Another thing to note is the publicity that has been put out about the new station. The authorities have been spinning a 'faster journeys' yarn. There's been lines about Thanet to London in an hour. However, Thanet Parkway is a few minutes closer to London than Ramsgate and the 'London' they have been citing is Stratford International. Take a walk around the main station building at Stratford International and you'll find an old sign which promotes "Trains to London in just 7 minutes". Do the math.
This has reminded me that for a long time there has been talk of a new station west of Canterbury where the lines into the two existing stations cross.
Current Stopping pattern off peak is 60 mins on Javelin. 60 Mins on 375. Extra's put in for Peak. The difference in running time from Ramsgate to St Pan via Canterbury West & via Birchington is 1hr 16 to 1 h 46mins so 30 mins difference.Been up that road & across that level crossing a few times 🙂
I drive past this all the time, and kept wondering WHY they are building a train station in the middle of nowhere?!? Theres nothing really there...apart from dual carriageways.
03:45 - not sure that is true? Ebbsfleet opened in 2007 and Rochester in 2015 - Rochester is a new, new station also. It replaced the old station and is closer to the 'City' centre. Strood was an upgrade.
OIC - new as in not a replacement - one that has not existed before (name wise). Rochester is a new station but it was replacing another Rochester station.
Bang on about the speed through Medway on HS1. It typically takes as much time to travel between Rainham and Strood as it does from Strood to St. Pancras.
Rochester and Strood (mentioned by Jennifer Beston). Rochester got a change of location and Strood got a new building. A mile apart but serve London in two directions.
Very interesting video. I would like to know the voltage and current of that heating wire. And that level crossing, well the half barriers are not that uncommon. We have them a lot, and we adapted them, including signal systems from the USA. But in the USA they have modernized there level crossing train detection. They not only detect the trains, but also the speed of the train, and so adapt the activation time. And with stations the barriers close, but time out, while the train is holding in the station. Then, before the train leaves the train driver can activate the level crossing with a remote control. Here in the Netherlands we have a timer system. When a stopper services approaches a station, with a level crossing behind it, the signal a the station is set to danger, and when the train approaches the level crossing activation zone, the level crossing is not activated but a timer is started. This timer is set so that about the time the train stops in the station, de barriers close. And when they are closed the signal goes to green.
Hi Geoff. As always an interesting and enjoyable video. I'm in Sandwich which is the next station on the line going towards Deal and Dover. My main concern is that when Parkway opens services from my town will be downgraded. We still haven't had our full HS1 pre covid timetable reinstated apart from the reintroduction of some of our direct trains to STP in the last timetable change. It still falls short of the service pattern we had prior to covid. Hopefully Sandwich and Deal will retain direct HS1 services after 2023. Time will tell I suppose.
Very similar to Warwick Parkway, in that both stations are on an embankment, and at Warwick an old underbridge is used for the walkway between the platforms instead of a new overbridge. "First station since 2007"- that's not correct- must mean in the south-east.
I took my friend's kids to Margate last summer from Kidderminster, on the way to Margate, we were routed from Euston, via the tube to Victoria then conventional rail to Margate, as that was faster, but our return route was HS1 via Ramsgate because that was faster, and I have also been St Pancras to Margate via Gillingham, so I'd say the tipping point is around Margate, and can only be a few minutes difference each way
Very interesting video. It is in an area I know well. I had a great aunt and uncle who lived in. In Cliffsend. My godmother lived in Broadstairs. Two of my grandparents and one of my great aunts lived in Birchington on sea.
Geoff, there's reference to this among the comments below but when you go to sites where there is expensive investment in railway infrastructure the question of cost deserves your consideration. In this instance at N T Parkway there appears to be the prospect significant windfall gain for local residential developers. One would hope that they were contributing to the cost through a Section 106 Agreement a.k.a. the Community Infrastructure Levy.
If Jennifer gets excited about a new station then then God knows how she would feel if she was involved in a campaign to bring the railway back to Haverhill Suffolk.
My answer to Geoff's question is it depends what time you get there. Sometimes it will be quicker to go the longer way round if that train comes first!
Is that going to be controlled by Minster SB, or dumped on the Ramsgate panel at Gillingham? If it's Gillingham, I hope the signallers there get an upgrade, as the Ramsgate panel can be a pain to work, especially in the rush hour and/or if things aren't running to time.
I should add, as the video would have been very boring if I'd gone into too much detail on this... It is possible to amend an Automatic Half Barrier crossing to have stopping/non-stopping controls (as the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch has) and Sevenscore crossing on the other side of the station will get them. Cliffsend is getting the full whack of CCTV for safety reasons as much as the station as it's in a residential area and heavily used by pedestrians etc...
Now you see why I didn't say it on film.
Your contributions to Geoff's videos are NEVER boring, don't worry about it!
Legend mate
This totally needs to be pinned
It's interesting you say it has to be controlled manually. In Denmark we've gotten rid of most level crossings for obvious safety reasons, but the few that remain are normally tied into the signals, so if the train has a clear signal the gates stay down and if the gates can't go down for whatever reason the trains get a warning signal and have to stop for crossing traffic. We also have separate "station exit" signals that basically work like blocks within the main blocks, which keep the trains at the stations till the line's clear, especially in cases where the station is right next to a crossing,so the trains can't leave the station till the gates are down
Thanks for the extra information.
Chris’s explanation is excellent. Simple and plain English and I should add - absolutely correct! No jargon, no acronyms, not pious or overly serious. Another superb video where you’ve both managed to give non railway folks an insight into the way complex projects are delivered and how they fit together.
Admittedly, I only know him from his appearances in Geoff's videos, but based on that small sample size, I have a difficult time envisioning Chris being pious or overly serious about anything. :)
@@ZGryphon I can tell you from first hand experience that he certainly isn’t either. He’s a really nice chap. That’s one of the reasons why he’s so good at this. Plus his railway knowledge is second to none.
Yeah Chris is super. Knowledgeable in a casual and down-to-earth way
Yes, it is a pleasure for a non native English speaker like I am to listen to him.
Love how Chris clearly loves his job 👍
He’s brilliant at explaining things with the right balance of enthusiasm and animation.
Thanks Gareth! Some days I'm the pigeon and other days the statue...
@@chrisdenham9086 aren't we all mate!
To answer the question about the point on the Thanet circular where going the wrong way to London is better than going direct in more detail, in practical terms it is Margate but it can be said it is Birchington-on-Sea. Margate to St. Pancras Intl. via Faversham is 1:36 h while Margate to St. Pancras Intl. via Canterbury West is 1:26 h. If you take actual time on the train Birchington-on-Sea to St. Pancras Intl. gives you a timetabled time of 1:31 h on a train via either route but due to the need to change at Margate and the timetable which gives poor connections into that direction, the actual journey from Birchington to St. Pancras is much longer via Margate and Canterbury West than via Faversham.
Underground footbridges are my favourite kind!
Always love a good echo from them.
I am used to bridges going over things. If it goes underground it is a tunnel or an underpass. Are you just being casual or is this another case of the US and the UK being two countries separated by a common language? 🤔
@@johnbennett1465 @John Bennett
A crossing under the tracks is a subway.
They're just joking about "underground footbridges". In the video Geoff was saying 2:52 they didn't need a crossing _over_ the tracks as there was already a crossing _under_ them. It's just that he was saying "footbridge" for crossing over. He should have said "subway" for crossing under but accidentally said "footbridge" again 2:57.
Incidentally, there are things on the tube that are a bit like underground footbridges. At stations where the tunnel has to be wider to accommodate a platform as well as the track, it is also necessarily wider. However, the clearance needed for passageways over the track is no greater. So at some old stations the passageway actually cuts through the crown of the tunnel. Sometimes there is an arch- or crescent-shaped grate low on the wall of the passage where it cuts through the station tunnel, and you can see down to the train and platform below.
@@johnbennett1465 The railway line is on the bridge, since it is going over the footpath!
Chris's remarks about ice physics got me thinking, and water is indeed a deeply weird substance--and in strangely fortunate ways, too. Very few materials expand when they freeze, for instance, but if water didn't do that, we wouldn't have soil, which is... kind of important.
Isn't the only liquid that reacts like water is Tellurium Sulphide? Which, of course, is a deadly poison.....
@@robertwilloughby8050 Could be. There are a handful of elements that are denser as liquids than solids (offhand, I can think of silicon and bismuth, but I'm pretty sure there are a couple of others), but they're all solids at room temperature anyway.
Yep, I thought that was weird too' but hence why pipes burst when water in them freezes! It properly splits them open too!!
We'd also have a thick layer of ice at the bottom of all areas of water of any size, as the ice forming at the surface would sink and be protected from the later heat which would otherwise melt it.
@@Michael75579 Ice fishing wouldn't be much fun.
Geoff's excitement about the rail is contagious. I don't live in the UK nor will I ever ride the UK rail lines featured in most of his videos. I love this kind of content. It's just so much fun. Thanks Geoff!
My grandparents retired to Cliffsend in the year I was born - 1957. So I've known that level crossing my entire life. My earliest memory is of the crossing keeper's house and standard full length gates. The house went, automatic half-barriers came in, and now full barriers are coming back, with manual control. As a child I always wondered why there wasn't a station there. I hope you went to see "Hugin", the Viking ship while you were there.
You don’t realise how much work is involved in upgrading the railways, a brilliant insight, thanks a lot 👍
To answer the speed to London question: I commute to London from Margate regularly for work, the 'wrong way' around through Canterbury and Ashford is faster by about 10-15 minutes. Margate is the last stop on that train, so it's faster for Birchington onwards to stay on the Medway route as that doesn't require changing. I really hope they can find those extra minutes, it was my big fear of this new station coming in!
I was honestly pretty surprised when I saw it being built as it isn't too far from Ramsgate, and would be serving a fairly small population unless Manston gets built on and is successful. We'll have to wait and see what it brings!
Thanks for covering our funky corner of the UK Geoff 😉
Geoff, you said about half way point. You need to do a video, workout the halfway point. Possible Margate. Start there and go through the medway towns and then go back to Margate and go the other way via Canterbury and Ashford and time it. Would make a good video 👌
Based on current timings, Margate-St Pancras via Faversham is 1hr 36 mins. Via Canterbury West is 1hr 26 mins. So Geoff's guess of Brichington being the closest station to being the same time in either direction is about right. Although of course that's only theoretical as there are no services to Birchington via Canterbury West.
Any new station is a welcome development and helps people use public transport.
I see Geoff has made a good friend in Chris. As for the station, that's awesome to see more new stations being built in England.
That situation with the crossing reminds me of Redwood, a station in the Wellington area (in NZ). Redwood has staggered platforms with a crossing in the middle.
So does the not too recently built Eastfields station in Mitcham, Surrey, England. It has staggered platforms with a level crossing in between that has 4 gates and is automatic with a telephone should an emergency arise.
Paul.
The physics in question is that liquid water only conducts electricity through the motion of impurities. Ice doesn't let them move, so no conduction. In metals, however, atoms let some of their electrons run free even when solid.
I lived the first 8.5 years of my life at 7, Canterbury Road West - the bungalow at the top of Foad's Hill/Lane. I can't count the number of times we walked down that hill to the village hall/corner shop/playschool/play park over that crossing! We used to love it when the lights flashed and the barriers came down, and would stand on the slide in the park and guess which direction the train was going to come from. Just thought I'd mention it. Thanks for bringing back some happy memories.
what an interesting and informative video, and of course - “because Physics!”
I'm Italian, I love trains, railways and your videos. But the thing I love most is your language and your accent. English from the island is powerful.
Great video as always Geoff 👍
The heating strips on the conductor rail, are an old system that has been used for many years on the points & crossings. Stopping ice forming, so the switch rails can open and close (meet end position) successfully.
I need people like Chris to explain everything vaguely complicated to me. Very informative video! Cheers Geoff
Another excellent video Geoff. I think its brilliant that Network Rail allow you to go behind the scenes and pick up all the information about ongoing projects etc. Very well explained and simplified too which is what i love about them.
This feels like a great documentary where Geoff breaks down construction of the Railway.
"because Physics!" is a worthy answer for many a complex question! Love it.
Perfect ending! I must admit I am always wary of half barrier (AHBC) level crossings as I am aware sone silly person might try to take a chance as I am approaching at line speed 😕 There was also an incident not long ago where the barrier was lowered fir a train in the down direction but the up train for some reason didnt register with the up deterctor so the down train had long passed, the barriers raised while the up train approached! Thankfully no one was hurt ☺
Cheers Geoff, really enjoy your Network Rail videos 🍀🍻👍🎩
thanks Tim! AHBC's always make me nervous, yes. i've seen too many of those videos on TH-cam where people 'zig zag' through them .. scary as heck!!
Interesting, half barriers are the norm where I am. You do get some silliness but idiots will always be idiots
@@hannahranga: true enough mate! We’re lucky as we only have three. One of them is actually on such a narrow road that the barrier essentially covers about 2/3 of the whole road and is thus fairly safe, and another is on quite a quiet road, so only one is a real concern thankfully 👍
Me thinks, that your past association with both tube & rail, the positive impression you give of every aspect tube/rail travel, has "earned you kudos" with Management & Staff (with whom you have interacted with), thus "the invitation to visit, film, speak to.." now stands you in good stead. I am not sure that I have seen that accolade given to other vloggers, who "watch trains".
It is always a pleasure "travel with you", on what ever journey you take.
You and Chris should team up more and give us more videos about how the railway runs, in greater detail. Not only would it be very interesting for your normal audience, but a lot of the newer staff on the railway that we get from outside the railway industry might learn something too.
Video like these that Geoff produce are always intriguing and always learn something new like how Thanet Parkway cannot open until they upgrade the level crossing. A few days ago I did pass through Reston Station while travelling between Edinburgh and Newcastle but it also interesting to see progress on a station being built. Great Video Geoff.
4:47 (Margate local here) Margate is about the tipping point - from here it’s quicker to go through Canterbury & Ashford - though it’s much more expensive so most people just go the ‘longer’ way anyway. Also you can only get a HS train from Birchington, Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate (and soon parkway!)
Birch boy here, always better to go the 'wrong' way def cheaper
Time will tell if this was a good investment, they built the harbour approach road as the shipping route ended, built a dual carriageway way that was finished as Pfizer pulled out. Thanet Parkway was supposed to service a massive housing development on the Airfield site but the Airport is being reopened to Freight Airlines. All said Geoff we’ll see you back at Thanet Parkway for Kent’s least used Railway in the years to come.
I assumed that the housing development company would be paying a decent chunk of the station cost ?
Also, why on earth do they "have" to claw back the two minutes before opening the station - surely the greater good is for the station to open, and then the line upgrade works to be completed in due course ?
Totally agree Frank. Millions wasted and local residents having their roads used as free parking.
Great to see Geoff down in Thanet!
Good to see this station open. I visited over the weekend and it works fine as a parkway but getting into the adjacent village of Cliffsend on foot is a bit of a challenge.
#becausephysics that is the phrase that's going to be remembered and used again and again
I’m in the final year of an applied maths and physics degree and “… which is weird but physics” may as well describe everything in the whole universe ever.
Chris' comments about the level crossing upgrade makes me wonder why the one on Crawley High St is so bad! It's right next to the station but the barriers come down just as every down service reaches the platform, and every service stops. Never mind 47 seconds, it's more like 3 minutes with the barriers down. Add the fact the up services often comes minutes either side means the barrier is often down for over 5 minutes! I have crossed the line quicker than waiting by walking to the footbridge 200m away!
Chris is in almost every network rail video 👍
Very fascinating!! Especially the bit about the level crossing and all the consideration and though that goes into timetable management!
Chris is awesome!! TV quiz show host in the making!
The legend is back with another banger!
Chris is great! Terrific for Geoff and for us too.
I'm using that from now on "physics" the answer to life unknowns
Very near to the Pegwell Bay Hoverport which closed in 1987.
Why are the walls on the platform not being made with perspex or similar, from your distance shots it looks like a horrendous eyesight with these solid walls in the platform rather than something people using the station could observe the view thru
Glad to see Geoff read our comments from the previous video and sorted his glove game out! 😉👍🏻
I am in 2 minds about this, new train station, upgrades and encouraging public transport use - good, not sure new train station next to a village with no shop or pub (from Google maps - cafe and viking ship though) for £34.5M or £116k per parking space does make sense. Presumably someone has big plans for Manston Airport.
Why build a trainstation in the middle of no where making it car dependent....will Manston be fully built on
By the way... The answer to where the balancing point of journey times is is complicated. At Margate the St P via Canterbury service is 10 mins quicker than the Medway Towns version BUT that depends on when you are travelling. If you happen to be there when the Medway version is arriving, then it's quicker to catch that , than wait. At Birchington there's no benefit to travelling the "wrong" way.
If you miss the 07 From Ramsgate via Canterbury West but can catch the 20 via Margate & "The Northern Curve" I call it then it gets you into STP at 06 where as if you get the next 07 via Canterbury then that arrives 15 mins behind the 20 via Margate. I only ever got the 20 if I needed to go via Gravesend for the commuter Connection via Dartford or if Engineering works on the Ashford bit.
Interesting about the level crossing. Some stations in Melbourne had a key switch on the passenger platforms that the drivers could use to re active or stop the level crossing. These were common at stations which had the level crossing 5 metres from end of the platform. perhaps they could have installed one of those at the station for the trains that stop there to switch on the level crossing again.
Geoff being on a first name basis with Construction Workers is brilliant 👏🏽
GREW UP IN CLIFFSEND, ALWAYS LOVED THE TRAINS WHIZZING BY
i used to play in that same tunnel and fields just behind my old house on old hall drive and yer right it has GREAT echoes...lol many a time id be shouting in there for the echoes.... lol
Excellent video as always. Chris is very passionate and engaging!
I know Chris was wearing a high-visibility jacket but my concentration was a bit distracted in the final section by the level crossing, as he kept on walking onto the road and cars were occasionally going past at a decent speed. It always amazes me how many railway stations there are in the south-east of England, with many serving quite small conurbations. That having been said, it was another interesting and informative video from Geoff.
Oh wow its finally nice to see Geoff in my part of town in Thanet :) not sure if he's ever come down this way, seems always too London central so it's nice to see him reviewing a station that will be done soon and that's literally up the road from me :)
Thank you for that. I visit Ramsgate several times a year from the states. Glad of the upgrade and no additional time from St Pancs.
Absolutely fascinating. I'd love a career in rail, although at 37 with no experience, I've got a lot of ground to make up, haha.
Another great video Geoff behinds the scenes on building a new Train Station, Upgrading the Level Crossings, I absolutely love all of your videos, I find them extremely interesting! 😊
With regards to which services are quicker from St Pancras International, if you are going to Birchington, Herne Bay or Whitstable, it is quicker via Chatham. For Ramsgate, Broadstairs or Margate, it is quicker via Ashford International and Canterbury West.
If you take Margate as the mid-point for ease, it takes 94 minutes via Chatham, and 86 minutes via Canterbury West.
There is another service from St Pancras International which goes via Dover Priory and Sandwich to terminate at Ramsgate, taking a total of 109 minutes.
Yes, going London to Margate via Ashford and Ramsgate is quicker by 20 minutes. It’s more expensive as a result. There’s no “half way” point since the trains from London are either to Margate via Ramsgate or to Ramsgate via Margate.
I'm enjoying your videos Geoff. We shared a few coffees at the good old Beeb when you did your 50p challenge to get an iPod. Now you're getting more subscribers than BBC 4 (possibly)
This station is very close to the currently closed Manston airport, some think it should be reopended with a shuttle link for air passengers, others think the area will be turned to housing with this being the local railway station. Regarding journey times, (and looking at high speed services only) there is an hourly service Margate via Ramsgate and Canterbury to Ashford where it joins HS1 on to London St Pancras, plus a loop sevice St Pancras - Ashford (via HS1) - Folkestone - Dover - Deal - Sandwich - Ramsgate - Margate - Birchington - Faversham - Medway joining HS1 again at Ebbsfleet to St Pancras & similar loop in reverse. If travelling between Thanet and London via HS1 the services via Folkestone have the longest journey time, in the other direction travelling via Medway is next for journey time (but cheaper) with the fastest being the service Margate via Canterbury. Tipping point, as the fastest service via Canterbury starts at Margate, when travelling via Birchington it is quicker to travel via Medway to avoid the need to change en route for services via Canterbury. Depending on start location and setting off time it may be quicker driving to Margate / Ramsgate to catch the faster HS1 service, as always consult the timetable.
To your question about what’s the quickest route.. I have been travelling on south east coast line since I was 3, I am now 31, I think it’s depends on where you are boarding for the high speed to st Pancras. Now if you are coming from
Canterbury, the west is the best bet for a quick journey.. for Dover I think via Folkestone and for Herne bay/whitstable up one station to Faversham and join the Medway valley via Gravesend.
That was so informative and so very intereting. Just wonderful tidbits of knowledge. Well Done.
Chris is made for the job of communications manager isn’t he? Great video!
Around Margate right now, it is about the same time frame to get to London via Canterbury / via the Medway Towns. I am pretty sure that to get from Margate to London the websites recommend whatever train is closer to the time you want to go as the time difference is fairly inconsequential.
great video as always geoff! love new stations, Worcestershire Pkway took my spot as favourite station when i went there!
When I was driving past it ages ago, I thought "why would they need one if manston is closed!?"
last time I was travelling on that line it was the old slam door units ...with a guard van full of bicycles and smokers...
Very useful station development for the Isle of Thanet.
Good work👍🏻😀
Excellent glove wearing this time.
Great video, because physics
I look forward to your least used station video from Thanet Parkway
Me too. DR. BEECHING would have known what to do with this station.
Geoff, Will you being doing a video on The Elizpurpline trial operations?
Hi Geoff, as a Rail enthusiast from Chatham Medway, through Strood, Rochester and Chatham, the maximum line speed is at 30mph, also going from st Pancras to ramsgate it takes 1 hour, 15 minutes, if you are going via ashford and it takes 1 hour, 46 minutes to go from st Pancras to ramsgate via Medway towns and faversham, so it is quicker going via ashford.
Would love to see a video on Brent Cross West 🙂
I to May never ride the English Rail,but I find his videos fun to watch
Geoff you have to do some merch " It's weird but physics "
People have already answered the 'which way round?' question, but has anyone mentioned the cost difference? There is a premium paid by passengers for journeys travelled on HS1. If you buy a ticket at Ramsgate you are often asked whether you are going via Ashford or the Medway Towns. Ashford is more expensive because there is a lot more HS1 line traversed than if you went the other way and joined HS1 at Ebbsfleet.
Another thing to note is the publicity that has been put out about the new station. The authorities have been spinning a 'faster journeys' yarn. There's been lines about Thanet to London in an hour. However, Thanet Parkway is a few minutes closer to London than Ramsgate and the 'London' they have been citing is Stratford International. Take a walk around the main station building at Stratford International and you'll find an old sign which promotes "Trains to London in just 7 minutes". Do the math.
You were in my road Foads Hill. You should come for a cup of tea ☕️
".........which is weird, but, physics" made me laugh out loud on my bus home last night! 🤣 😳
Good insightful video. These are great. Hope you cover the East-West railway programme too.
Because Physics!!
This has reminded me that for a long time there has been talk of a new station west of Canterbury where the lines into the two existing stations cross.
i looked at this site over 20 years ago and i’m still waiting. We never get things done in this country. Why do we have Ministers of Transport?
Chris’ explanation of physics is better than my a-level teacher’s explanation
Current Stopping pattern off peak is 60 mins on Javelin. 60 Mins on 375. Extra's put in for Peak. The difference in running time from Ramsgate to St Pan via Canterbury West & via Birchington is 1hr 16 to 1 h 46mins so 30 mins difference.Been up that road & across that level crossing a few times 🙂
I drive past this all the time, and kept wondering WHY they are building a train station in the middle of nowhere?!?
Theres nothing really there...apart from dual carriageways.
Madness. Some MP got a nice bung probably
03:45 - not sure that is true? Ebbsfleet opened in 2007 and Rochester in 2015 - Rochester is a new, new station also. It replaced the old station and is closer to the 'City' centre. Strood was an upgrade.
I think that they might consider replacing a station as upgrading it instead of a new station.
OIC - new as in not a replacement - one that has not existed before (name wise). Rochester is a new station but it was replacing another Rochester station.
@@gwyneddboom2579 Yeah - replace/upgrading to me means on the site of the old one but I get what she means. Cheers!
Bang on about the speed through Medway on HS1. It typically takes as much time to travel between Rainham and Strood as it does from Strood to St. Pancras.
Rochester and Strood (mentioned by Jennifer Beston). Rochester got a change of location and Strood got a new building. A mile apart but serve London in two directions.
To St Pancras:
1h30 Margate via Canterbury West, 1h39 via Faversham
1h32 Birchington-on-Sea via Faverham, 2h04 via Margate as you need to change
Physics and mayhem in one video nice one Chris
Don't forget that adding extra CCTV crossings add onto a signallers workload so that also has to be assessed.
Very interesting video. I would like to know the voltage and current of that heating wire. And that level crossing, well the half barriers are not that uncommon. We have them a lot, and we adapted them, including signal systems from the USA. But in the USA they have modernized there level crossing train detection. They not only detect the trains, but also the speed of the train, and so adapt the activation time. And with stations the barriers close, but time out, while the train is holding in the station. Then, before the train leaves the train driver can activate the level crossing with a remote control. Here in the Netherlands we have a timer system. When a stopper services approaches a station, with a level crossing behind it, the signal a the station is set to danger, and when the train approaches the level crossing activation zone, the level crossing is not activated but a timer is started. This timer is set so that about the time the train stops in the station, de barriers close. And when they are closed the signal goes to green.
Hi Geoff. As always an interesting and enjoyable video. I'm in Sandwich which is the next station on the line going towards Deal and Dover. My main concern is that when Parkway opens services from my town will be downgraded. We still haven't had our full HS1 pre covid timetable reinstated apart from the reintroduction of some of our direct trains to STP in the last timetable change. It still falls short of the service pattern we had prior to covid. Hopefully Sandwich and Deal will retain direct HS1 services after 2023. Time will tell I suppose.
Very similar to Warwick Parkway, in that both stations are on an embankment, and at Warwick an old underbridge is used for the walkway between the platforms instead of a new overbridge. "First station since 2007"- that's not correct- must mean in the south-east.
I took my friend's kids to Margate last summer from Kidderminster, on the way to Margate, we were routed from Euston, via the tube to Victoria then conventional rail to Margate, as that was faster, but our return route was HS1 via Ramsgate because that was faster, and I have also been St Pancras to Margate via Gillingham, so I'd say the tipping point is around Margate, and can only be a few minutes difference each way
Very interesting video. It is in an area I know well. I had a great aunt and uncle who lived in. In Cliffsend. My godmother lived in Broadstairs. Two of my grandparents and one of my great aunts lived in Birchington on sea.
All very nice areas.
Geoff, there's reference to this among the comments below but when you go to sites where there is expensive investment in railway infrastructure the question of cost deserves your consideration. In this instance at N T Parkway there appears to be the prospect significant windfall gain for local residential developers. One would hope that they were contributing to the cost through a Section 106 Agreement a.k.a. the Community Infrastructure Levy.
Amazing 👏
If Jennifer gets excited about a new station then then God knows how she would feel if she was involved in a campaign to bring the railway back to Haverhill Suffolk.
My answer to Geoff's question is it depends what time you get there. Sometimes it will be quicker to go the longer way round if that train comes first!
Is that going to be controlled by Minster SB, or dumped on the Ramsgate panel at Gillingham? If it's Gillingham, I hope the signallers there get an upgrade, as the Ramsgate panel can be a pain to work, especially in the rush hour and/or if things aren't running to time.