Virgin East Coast High Speed Tain (HST) with power car 43320 leading on an down train at Holme level crossing on the 11th of May 2015.

Network Rails New Measurement Train (NMT) is used to check the condition of the track on most of the main railway lines in the UK in a 13 week cycle. Some of the things It can check for are contact with the track of the wheels and the track geometry. The overhead wire height and the track gauge and cant.

The train can also takes video from both the power cars and of the pantograth. The pantograth is not used for power, but to check for over head line faults.

I did not get the numer of the power car being used but 43013 and 43014 have all had new MTU engine fitted. Five Mark Three coaches are used full of test gear.

It all over Yellow colour has given this test train the nickname of The "Yellow Banana" by some.

Holme is a small village next to the ECML between Peterborough and Huntingdon and it is spelt with a L. Holme village is in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire.

Holme had its own railway station and a branch line to Ramsey. Both the station and the branch line are now closed. Yaxley village and Peterborough are to the north and Connington crossing is to the south (about a mile from the village).

The land in fens around Holme is black fen peat and is some of the lowest and best farming land in England. The track was laid on reed and wooden rafts and has not sunk like the land around.

The ECML is now on a embankment. It was level with the land when it was built. They may have kept adding soil and or ballast to kept the track level over the years.

The level crossing in the Holme village has a gate box that was a replacement when the old signal boxe went. Holme vilage is to on the west of this crossing.

Conington Airfield or as it is now called Peterborough Business Airport is between Holme vilage and Conington.

To the south of Holme village is a level crossing at Conington. Most mainline steam heading north stop on the down slow between Holme and Conington crossings to top up with water from a water tanker, as there are now no water cranes now on the ECML

To the north is a level crossing at Holme fen which is about a 3/4 of a mile north towards Peterborough and is on a very minor road

The photos on this page were taken at the main Holme level crossing on the Ramsey Road.