Railcam UK
Ratings:
Overall Rating: B
Video Quality: B
Audio Quality: C
Number of Cams: A+
Cost: A
Railcam UK is one of the oldest railcam providers, operating since 2009. They have free feeds thru youtube and their website, and offer a pay service with access to many more cams. All cameras are located in the United Kingdom. The viewer in most cases will observe only passenger trains, as most freight trains will operate at night.
Video Quality: Of the 8 cameras currently free on Youtube, two are 720P and six are 1080P. The pay cameras are mostly at 1080P and 720P. I have yet to locate anything above 1080P, although with over 100 cameras, I have not checked out every camera yet. The camera views are a mix of trackside and high-angle shots looking down on multiple tracks. The video feeds are smooth.
Audio Quality: The sound from the Railcam cameras is adequate, although in many cases with the high angle camera views, the sound is muffled, with little depth.
Camera Locations: Railcam UK has 126 cameras throughout the UK as of May 2023. They have an additional 79 cameras for viewing outside the UK (mostly USA thru a deal with Virtual Railfan)
Multicam Viewing: You have the option to view single, dual, or triple cameras, and there is a Custom view where you can add as many as you wish. I tested it with 8, all running smoothly. However, 4 is the most I could fit in my browser window. Depending on your monitor setup, you may be able to view more. I was able to open multiple browser windows, and view multiple cams in both windows.
Bonus: The train watching features added to Railcam UK cameras are unprecedented.
In
the screenshot above of the footer of the camera, you can see that
it tells you the train symbols that are currently passing or
approaching the camera. The clickable links (
)
give various information. The clock symbol will bring up a listing
of trains that will pass in the next hour. The weather symbol
provides the weather for the location. The map symbol will show you
on a map the location of the camera. The three-square diagram brings
up a track map of the location.
Cost: The cost to subscribe for 12 months is 30 Euro, or about $33.00, which breaks down to less than $3 per month. Given the number of cameras and features available on the website, Railcam UK is a bargain.
Social Media: Railcam UK has a Facebook page.
Summary: Railcam UK has the most cameras of any railcam provider, and most are 1080P, although they have yet to move to 4K. Audio is subpar, but that is to be expected with high-angle shots of the tracks. The added features make it easy to dive deeper into tracking trains, and the cost is a bargain. Well worth the $3.00 per month.