Portobello Junction - Noose Lane Level Crossing, West Midlands (Ft. The Northern Belle)

Описание: The Northern Belle appears in the fourth lowering.

Dates filmed: Saturday the 21st of December 2024 / Saturday the 5th of July / Sunday the 14th of December 2025
Videos filmed at 14:50 / 16:44 | 16:56 / 13:00

Route: Walsall to Wolverhampton Line
Closest timing point: Portobello Junction (XPJ) (on Real Time Trains)

Crossing type: Manually Controlled Barrier crossing with CCTV (MCB-CCTV)

Filming location: Noose Lane, Willenhall (WV13 3BX)
Featuring:
‪@Pendlinoguy125‬

A level crossing located in Willenhall at the edge of the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. The current array of equipment here is a mid-2010's install, and the line this level crossing is on is once more seeing regular passenger traffic in preparation for two upcoming stations at Darlaston and Willenhall, but these have been on the cards and their opening dates pushed back for some time now. Some of the wigwags here are located higher up than usual due to masts used to support two wigwags being used to support just the one, and there are warning signs of the overhead electrification in odd places here now. Additional, new road markings and 'Keep Crossing Clear' signage appear to have been installed here since these videos. While some level crossings have alarms that are just too quiet, this semi-residential / semi-industrial level crossing has a pair that are both very loud!

Here's another video filmed across multiple dates. The first, just before Christmas 2024 on the shortest day of the year, features just a single lowering as the other train that hour had been cancelled due to crew shortages (typical!). I then wanted to stop by again on the way back from the North West about six months later, and got two more lowerings here. After that, seeing the Northern Belle running, while in the area in the run up to Christmas 2025, drew me here a third time in 12 months!

Trains featured:
Intro - 0:00
-
Lowering 1 (0:39):
196 001 (West Midlands Railway) - 2:47
2J20 Birmingham New Street ➡ Shrewsbury | 2 minutes late
-
Lowering 2 (3:24):
196 113 (West Midlands Railway) - 4:50
2J24 Birmingham New Street ➡ Shrewsbury | 5 minutes early
-
Lowering 3 (5:24):
196 114 (West Midlands Railway) - 6:40
2G22 Shrewsbury ➡ Birmingham New Street | On-time
-
Lowering 4 (7:19):
57 315, 57 313, & Northern Belle (West Coast Railways) - 8:25
1Z54 Coventry ➡ Chester | 10 minutes late

Late Raise - 9:10
-
End-of-video picture showcase: 9:52

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!